Their Longest Day
by Semmett
Summary: 1st chapter is Prolougue, used 2 b no name. Tony and Michelle have there own 24 day, written b4 series 4 so doesn't take it into account. Major T
1. Prologue

ODD THOGHTS

I gave them everything, my time, my life and now they take my husband. Well Screw it! If I want to see him I have to make an appointment 6 months in advance. He's my husband I should be allowed to see him any day I want, not through 2 inch glass and through a phone! It's not fair! Did I upset someone in a past life, was I someone evil, is this karma come round to bite me in the answer?

I only stayed another 2 weeks after they led him off  like some traitor, I wanted to scream at them all, well what are you looking at, you would have done the same if  it was someone you loved! I mean Jack almost killed the president and they didn't put him in prison.

I remember going into Jacks office, less then two weeks ago it had been my husbands now it was his. He was sympathetic but I still couldn't help but resent him for it though.

"Jack, can I have a moment."

"Sure, close the door behind you," It made that really annoying whoosh sound as I did it, that's one of the few things about CTU I don't miss, along with that ring tone, that bugged the hell out of me and Tony. I remember we used to sit at home and laugh about him using his authority to change that god damned ring tone, we'd laugh and just be at ease with each other. I missed that, just talking and enjoying his company.

 I've come to hand in my resignation." I said.

"Michelle you don't have to do this."

"Yes I do, I can't stay here, I won't stay here."

"Michelle you're one of the best, it would be a shame to lose you. I understand what you're going through"

"Jack, how could you? Less than two weeks ago this was Tony's office, less than two weeks ago I was seeing him everywhere I went, at home and work. Now he's no where, not at home and not here. If I'm supposed to accept that he's never coming home then I can't stay here.... I can't work for a government that's taken everything from me," That shut him up. I handed him the letter and then I turned to leave but he stopped ma and said;

"I'm sorry, I really am! If it's any consolation I think its wrong. But you can't just leave, we need everyone there's a biological war going on and…"

 I cut in "And I'm immune and the only one who you know is immune so you need me to go into infected places and make sure the presence of CTU is felt. Well I'm sorry I'm not going to, just get someone to put on a suit. I sorry Jack, I'm just not as patriotic as I was before. I just don't see the point of it anymore!" By now I had my hand on the doorknob when Jack played his trump.

"What would Tony think?" That question had caught me off guard, off all the questions that I thought Jack was going to ask I hadn't anticipated this one, stupid really, but then I hadn't thought he'd have wanted me to stay because it was obvious to everyone that my heart was no longer in the job and that I wasn't performing well anymore.

"I don't know Jack, and I can't ask him because I have to make appointments to see my own husband now!" Then I decided to tell him something that I hadn't told anyone else because I so badly wanted to pretend that it wasn't real, "He's getting a military court hearing they told me the other day ." I said quietly, both of us knew what that meant. He wouldn't be allowed any representation, and he was being accused of treason, that wasn't dealt with lightly in any other court but in a military court few people accused of treason ever saw the sunshine again.

"Maybe the sentence will be short because of the circumstances," both of us knew it was a blatant lie but it brought me a slight whisper of happiness and security, the last time I'd felt that was when I was in my husbands arms.

"Thanks for trying to comfort me." This time I got as far as opening the door before he stopped me again.

"You moving house as well?"

"Yep, not as if I need such a big house anyway."

"Can I have a forwarding address?" I turned to face him, astonishment on my face.

"Why?"

"Because Jack your friend, the one that went to your wedding, not Jack CTU director wants to know so that I can make sure your alright and keep in contact with you."

I smiled at his small attempt at humor.

"I'm sorry Jack, the only person I'm telling is my husband. I'm cutting all ties here." A frown appeared on his face.

"Well, I'll ask Tony when I speak to him. But I hint, is it in the city?"

"No further, Mexico" This time it was his time to be astonished, "Goodbye Jack, it was an honor to work with you." At that I turned and left the office, I'd already placed all my things into my car. So I left the building for the last time.

Of course I'd lied to Jack, I'd never even left Los Angeles, I've rented a small cheap place until I know which prison my husbands been moved to, and then I'll get a place close by. As are the duties of a wife, he's my husband no matter what anyone else says he is, and I'll follow him as far as is humanly possible.

**Important please read below__**

Ok ppl that's the end please please review porque I love getting reviews

Sorry for the bad grammar and spelling, I find them really hard. But I hope I haven't made to many mistakes.

This is my first 24 fic so I'm really nervous and porque I'm new to the whole fanifc thing

SO please review and please no flames (unless you think that its absolutely necessary)

Tell me if I should cont, it wont be in Michelle point of view and I have a rough idea of what I'm going to do. It centers around Michelle and Tony well durr I just wanted to add this in and have a rant

OH AND BY THE WAY I H8ED THE ENDING FOR 24 TONY AND MICHELLE MAKE SUCH A CUTE COUPLE!! THEY DESERVE EACH OTHER

Oh I feel so much better for having my little rant smiles happily


	2. 1

Tony opened his eyes, from his bunk, to once again stare at the same wall and ceiling he'd stared at for 3 months, and the same ceiling and walls I'll be staring at for the next 20 years he thought to himself. He'd just started his long sentence of 20 years. Tony didn't know weather to be happy or devastated these days, happy that it wasn't the death sentence or devastated that he's be here for the best part of his life.

" I'm 31 now so I'll be 51 when I leave, that sucks" he mumbled to himself, " 20 years, that's 356 days a year times 20 that's…..7120 days, shit!" the thought just depressed him so he pushed it to the back of his mind.

"Talking to yourself again Almaidia," Tony glanced sideways, through the glass a guard called Sam Lester stood there. Tony was familiar with most guards mainly because he didn't cause hassle and they all knew why he was here, he'd been told by most men and women working here that he deserved a medal, not a place behind bars. For the most part he was grateful for the support, now was one of those times.

"Just working out how many days I'm in here for, 7120, that's a large number,"

"You include leap years?"

"No, dammit that just adds days, why you do that Sam? You just made me more depressed."

"Something for you to keep yourself occupied for today then. But I got something that'll make you happy," Sam paused for dramatic effect,

"Go on then"

"Well, its two things actually…"

Tony cut in, "Not that I've got much to do anyway and I'm not happy that you've distracted me, but would you just tell me,"

"Cubs won yesterday, so they're through to the quarter finals"

"One of the few times they get through and it's the year I'm in prison, how unfair is life."

"It means you've won your bet though,"

"Yeh,  it means that this month I get two bars of soap instead of one, but I forewarn you Terry's gunna stink this month, he doesn't wash normally so now," Tony left it to Sam imagination.

Tony had got to now fellow inmate down three cells to the right quite well. Terry had been a smuggler, and a very good one at that, he'd smuggled everything from heroin to slaves to terrorists and weapons, although Tony couldn't imagine Terry actually doing these crimes, but then he didn't see himself in prison for twenty years because of treason, Terry had kept an eye out for Tony after Tony had thumped some guy when Terry was without his pose and prisoners who acted as his body guards. And Tony and Terry actually had a few things in common, and on the few occasions they were let out in the exercise yard they spoke and betted together to pass the time.

"And secondly a letter arrived yesterday, we read it sorry its protocol," Sam looked generally sorry about it "anyway it seemed to be safe, so I thought I'd give it to you"

Tony got up and walked over to the glass and waited for Sam to put the letter on the tray and push it through, such was a maximum security prison that there was almost no human contact with the guards. As soon as it was through Tony picked it up and unfolded the letter, the writing was recognizable immediately, Michelle's. Michelle was a touchy subject around Tony, he loved her and was happy she was safe but he hated the fact that she was all alone out there because he was in here and he hated that he couldn't be with his wife all the time. So anyone, from guards to fellow prisoners were careful when they approached the subject of Michelle around Tony.

"Thanks Sam," he said quietly. He skimmed the letter, it was the third one he had from her, he'd read it in detail later.

"How long until you see her?" Sam asked.

"Four months," He said gloomily, suddenly his good mood dissipated. Four months! Suddenly he didn't think he could live another moment without her. The last time he'd seen her was when he'd been at court and everyone was trying to get a pardon from the president, but because of the loss of his ex-wife he was grieving so he'd been unable to do anything. She hadn't cried when she'd heard his sentence but when he'd turned to see her he'd seen the look of utter hopelessness and despair in her eyes but as soon as she realized he was looking at her the look had changed to be one of determination, Michelle Almaidia was not going to just give up, he had known that and it was that determination that had been one of the many reasons he'd married her, why he loved her. He missed her so much!

"I'm sorry Tony, I really am" Sam said shaking him out of his thoughts. With that the guard turned and left. Tony watched him go before looking at the letter and reading it in great detail. There wasn't any hidden gender or message, it was just about what was going on and happening in her life. She'd left CTU a couple of months back and had severed all ties there, and she'd recently started working at an office as an IT consultant, not as exciting but paying well. She'd moved as well, it didn't specify in the letter but he had a fair idea where she'd gone. Tony went back and lied on his bed recalling as many details about Michelle as he could, from the way she slept to the way she acted towards him at work. Closing his eyes he dozed off dreaming of Michelle.

Jack walked down the stairs from his office, Los Angeles CTU Director, a position he had taken up grudgingly after the dishonorable discharge of Tony.

"Chloe have you got anything on Yusef Ali," she asked walking over to her station.

"No, no agency has spotted him in the last two years, Jack this guy must have been planning this for years," Chloe had been elevated to the position of Second and Adam third as there had been places that had needed filling after the leaving of Tony, Michelle and Chase. The Biological threat was over and contained and things had started to have a small resemblance to the normality that there had been before hand when every agency and division had received an email saying that there was a threat to national security. It continued to go on and say that they had information from a reliable source saying that a man called Yusef Ali had organized a mass suicide bombing on a scale so large that of it were to work then America would suffer huge lose of life and it could very well bring America to its knees. The source had said that for every major city in America there would be around 20 suicide bombers.

"Chloe there has to be something!" Jack said exasperated, since receiving the email he'd been trying to gather whatever Intel he could get on Yusef but so far there seemed to be none. Suddenly the phone on Chloe's desk rang, Jack picked it up;

"Jack, I just received something from MI6," Adam said.

"What?"

"Well, in 1996 there was a mission to go under cover and expose a group called Freedom Fall; there were three undercover agents, two English and I American. It turned out that this terrorist group was heavily tied to another group called A.M.D, which was headed by Yusef. When the agents were undercover they were able to infiltrate both groups, and got very close to Yusef."

"What happened? Why wasn't Yusef brought in?"

"They brought down Freedom Fall, but Yusef got away and went to Cuba briefly then they lost him and he hasn't done anything since then to bring himself to our attention,"

"Until now."

"Yes, Jack we should have had this information on our systems, I only received this by chance, why wasn't it on our systems?"

"When CTU was destroyed a few years ago we lost a lot of information, this is probably one of the things lost. Adam I'm going to need the names of the Agents.

"I already asked MI6 and received it, Jack the two English agents aren't going to help us."

"Why?"

"One's dead, taken in another operation, and the other defected to the other side."

"What about the American agent?"

"Jack your not going to believe this, it was Tony"

There was silence on Jacks end of the phone.

"Jack?"

"I'm still here, what information do MI6 have?"

"Very little, Jack when did Tony do this mission?"

"He must have done it when he was in special forces, just before he joined CTU."

"It does say that the agents met Yusef on a number of occasions, Tony could know something really important. Someone has to go speak to him.

"He's staying at the maximum security prison just north of L.A"

"Lake Burant Prison?"

"Yes, I'll head over there now can you send any information to me if you find any and get me the number of the warden, I'll call ahead so they can put Tony into an interrogation room."

Jack hung up filled Chloe in and headed to the car park. Once he started driving he got the number Adam sent him and called the Warden.

"Hello, Grant Blint"

"Am I speaking to the Warden of Lake Burant Prison?"

"Yes."

"My names Jack Bauer, I'm Director of the L,A Counter Terrorist Unit branch, you have a prisoner there called Tony Almaidia there. There's a threat to the National Security and I think Tony Almaidia might be able to help. I'm driving to your prison right now, I need to speak to him. Can he be placed in an interrogation cell by the time I get there?"

"Certainly, how long before you arrive?"

"Twenty minuets."

Grant hung up and Jack concentrated on the road while another part thought about the strange turn of events. He still remembered Michelle coming into his office to announce her resignation. It hadn't come as a surprise, he had expected it. But part of him was so used to having one the pair of them their, or seeing them around it was strange to have them both gone.

He remembered helping Michelle home soon after they had taken Tony, he'd helped to her house, sat her down and just talked to her. Jack knew that Tony was going to jail and that it was going to be a long time. He knew that Michelle was probably going through the same kind of thoughts that he'd had when Terri had died. The first thing he'd said to her when he'd sat her down and she had a glass of red wine in her hand was;

"Don't do what ifs or maybes, they only make your head hurt and want that drink more, and don't think you'll find any solace in that drink, you won't."

He remembered how they'd both started to get drunk and go all nostalgic on each other, him going on about Terri and her about Tony. Jack had promised Michelle that he'd look after her and try everything in his power to get Tony a pardon, but the president had not been able too. He remembered the look on her face as he'd had to tell her that Tony wouldn't get a pardon, Michelle face had almost brought him to tears, and he felt as if it was all his fault, she'd got her hopes up because of Jack's promise and he'd let her down. He'd lost contact with her and he sometimes wondered what had happened to her, maybe today he'd find out.

Jack slowly pulled in, and drove past the checkpoint. The prison loomed up ahead, it seemed foreboding, a place of despair and Jack wondered if this place had changed Tony. Jack had no idea what to expect.

"What the hell?" Blurry eyed and confused Tony took the scene in as much as his sleep addled brain would let him. Sam stood with three other guards all armed and one was opening the door.

"Sam whatever it is, I didn't do it." Tony didn't know if he was making a joke or being serious.

"Hey don't worry, some guy coming in to talk to you."

"What? The only people coming to see me our Michelle and my Lawyer and neither are supposed to be coming for months!"

"Look, my orders are to take you into the interrogation room, I don't know anything else, if I did I would tell you."

Tony stood up as the guards came in, he placed his hands in front and they placed handcuffs on and led him down the corridor through two bullet proof doors and passed countless cells. Soon they came to the room, he was led inside and the handcuffs were taken off, but one hand was still attached to the handcuff and it was attached to a bar on the steel table, which took up most of the room. One wall was taken up be a one way window. Tony closed his eyes and imagined what was on the other side and who was in that small cramped room on the other side. No-one came in the room for a few minutes, this left Tony to think about why he was in here, he hadn't done anything that bad that they thought it best to interrogate him and he hadn't seen anything, that he was quite sure of.

Suddenly the door opened, Tony had expected someone like Sam but instead Jack walked in. Tony's face drained of colour, his immediate thought was that something had happened to Michelle and that Jack had abused his potion as director of CTU to come and tell Tony.

"Has something happened to her?"  He asked sounding panicked, no formalities or pleasantries, both knew each other well enough to know that it was a waste of time. Jack paused,

"No, I'm afraid I haven't kept in touch with her, she left CTU and moved, she said she was telling you, didn't she?" Tony paused and considered how to reply, now that he was thinking straight, Michelle had mentioned leaving and that she'd moved and now that Tony knew it was not about Michelle it had to be about something else, Jack hadn't come on a social call so that meant it had to be business and Tony knew too well that Jack more often that not broke all the rules to get results. The only leverage Jack had over him was Michelle, and Tony wasn't about to bring Michelle into it. So considering his answer carefully he replied;

"No, if you hadn't noticed I'm not he most well informed person in the world what with me being behind bars. But let's cut the crap, if it's not about Michelle what are you doing here?"

Jack smiled, prison hadn't completely destroyed Tony after all, he still had spirit in him.

"There's been a threat to national security by a man named Yusef Ali." Jack said, Tony took a sharp intake of breath. "You remember him then," it came more as a statement then a question.

"Yeh, I remember, 1996. You probably already know but I was one of the three agents that went undercover. I met Yusef Ali a number of times. He hates America Jack, while I was undercover I saw him do some pretty awful things to Americans. Not part of my life I recall with relish."

"Tough Tony, you're going to help me by giving me all the information you have."

Tony was about to say yes when a thought popped into his head, he could make a deal, get out early, see Michelle before he was 51. He glanced at the one way window.

"I'll help, but first I want to talk to you alone, not with my conversation being recorded and having 5 men listening on the other side" he nodded in the direction of the mirror.

"Can't do that Tony, you know that."

"Fine then I can't help you, sorry."

"Tony, just tell me what you know and then I'll be out and you can go back to your cell."

"That's just it, I don't want to go back to my cell, I'll tell you what you need to know. Yusef's associates, his plans, the way he works but I'll only tell you on my conditions." Jack didn't move, but Tony saw many reactions and feelings flit across Bauer's face, but he quickly hid them. "Really Jack, could you honestly say that in my position you wouldn't do the same."

"Tony this is not the time to play games, we're running out of time, Thousands even millions of people could be affected if Yusef succeeds. What if Michelle is one of those people?"

"Don't you dare bring Michelle into this Jack!" Tony said anger seeping into his voice.

"I'll do whatever I have to do to bring Yusef down."

"Even if it means turning on a fellow colleague."

"Like I said before what ever it takes."  Of course Jack was lying, he would never hurt Michelle, he loved her like a sister he never had, but Tony didn't know that.

Both said nothing, each sizing each other out. Both knew that this was turning into a game of chicken, but neither knew how far they were willing to go before they backed down. Tony decided to lay most of his cards on the table. Lowering his voice so that it would be hard for the microphones to pick up;

"Jack both of us knew that you promised Michelle that you'd do whatever was in your power to get me off the hook, don't look so surprised she wrote it in a letter, but hold yourself to that promise. I'll help you I promise but please just work with me here." Tony paused and let Jack take it in. Inside Jack was in thinking hard, he had to protect his country at any cost but maybe he could do that and still keep his word to Michelle. "Jack, you know the president, please try and get me off the hook, you've got two reasons now instead of one. I know Yusef, he doesn't know I was one of the agents that brought Freedom Fall down, I can still get in! Think about it Jack, I can stop this but first you have to get me out of prison." Tony leaned back and once again let Jack take it in.

"Fine, wait here while I make some calls," and with that he turned and left the room. Once he stepped outside that warden quickly stepped outside from the other room.

"What did he say? We couldn't hear him."

"He wants to make a deal. Now if you excuse me I have a phone call to make."

Stepping away from the warden he wandered down the hall and got out his phone and punched in the number to get in contact with the president.

"Hello, how can I help you?" said a female voice down the phone.

"This is Jack Bauer can I speak to the president please?"

"Code please?"

"2-1-5-6"

"Thank you, Mr. Bauer can you please hold while I connect you." There was silence for a few moments then the deep voice of President Palmer spoke,

"How can I help you Jack?"

"Well Mr. President, as you know around four months ago I asked for a pardon for Mr. Almaidia, you met him on a number of occasions, he was going to prison for treason."

"Yes, I remember. But what's that have to do with now?"

"Please let me finish Mr. President. He is now an important piece in our investigation on Yusef Ali, you have been briefed on the security threat?"

"Yes."

"The only way Tony is going to co-operate is if you give him a pardon."

There was a pause before David spoke, "I'm sorry Tony but I can't justify letting giving Tony a pardon no matter what the circumstances, he is in jail for treason!"

"Mr. President! Tony was one of the three men that started the mission to get the virus, I ended up with a addiction, Tony ended up in prison and the other died of the virus, what does that say about America and how it rewards it heroes, he deserves a medal not a place behind bars! His wife was taken hostage and he helped get her back and catch the man responsible! It's not as if he's going to commit treason again. He has valuable information and has even offered to go undercover again Mr. President to bring Yusef Ali down! He had given everything to this country, please Mr. President reconsider!"

Jacks little speech made David go quite, and he thought hard. Jack had made the same plea a while ago but the president had been too wrapped up in his own problems to help at the time and now was his second chance. David had met Tony and spoken to him on a number of occasions and he had seemed a decent man, fighting for what he believed in.

But if David gave this pardon, his rival candidates for presidentry would surely hear of this and they'd use it to there advantage saying David had released a highly dangerous prisoner, this could be the one thing between winning or losing the election. He had to think about this from all possible angles.

"Jack, I have to think about this, I'll call when I've made my decision. In the mean time I need you to have a contingency plan incase I can't give the pardon."

"What do you mean Mr. President?"

"Mr. Almaidia seems to care dearly for his wife, use her as leverage to get the information."

"Mr. President?" Jack said in disbelief.

"You heard me, do whatever is necessary to get Tony to talk, if it means harming his wife, though regrettable, it must be done."

"Mr. President, Tony married a co-worker called Michelle Dessler. I know her. She left CTU after the arrest of her husband and no-one from CTU has made contact or heard fro her. I don't know if I can carry your order out, she was a close friend of mine."

"Should I pass this over to N.S.A then?"

"No! Mr. President it would be a lot easier if you could just give Tony a pardon."

"But I don't know if I can do that. And as you said it is a direct order from the President. You must carry it out!" With that the president hung up the phone. Jack swore, this wasn't right but he had no other choice. He phoned CTU, Chloe picked up,

"Chloe,"

"Its Jack I need to put you on something else,"

"Jack I'm on to something.."

"Then give it to someone else, this is important." He snapped

"What?" Chloe said exasperated.

"I need you to find Michelle."

"Why, what she got to do with all this?"

"Tony will only co-operate if he gets a pardon.."

"That makes sense. If I was in his position I'd want to cut a deal."

"But the President's not willing to co-operate, and he's given me an order to get the information we need by any means possible."

"He said to get the information by blackmailing Tony, didn't he?" She said quietly "Are we really gunna hurt her so Tony will tell us Jack?"

"It's an order Chloe we don't have any other choice. I don't like this any more then you do but it's an order." He replied bitterly, "If we don't do it the President will pass this on to another agency. Pass whatever work your doing onto Adam and start trying to find Michelle, when she left she said something about moving to Mexico, use that as a starting point, call me as soon as you make some progress." Hanging up the phone he turned and headed back to the interrogation room, now to tell Tony.

----

Tony looked up as Jack re-entered the room.

"Well, what did he say?"

"He needed time to think about it."

"So, to put it simply he said no."

"No, he said 'I'll call you when I've made a decision', that's not a no."

"But it's not a yes." Tony said bluntly. Jack shifted with a guilty look in his eyes.

"What aren't you telling me Jack?"  Jack didn't reply.

"Jack!?" still Jack said nothing.

"Jack tell me what the fuck's going on!"

"If the presidents not going to pardon you we've been told to bring in Michelle." He said quietly. The colour drained from Tony's face.

"You son of a bitch," he said hoarsely, "You son of a BITCH!" his shouted. "Don't you dare bring Michelle into this, she's gone through enough already. I can't believe you'd do this to an old colleague, a friend even. You went to our wedding for God's sake."

"Tony I don't want to do this you have to believe me, but I have no choice, it's an express order from the President!"

"When have you ever cared for orders Jack?"

"Look, we don't have to bring her in! All you have to do is tell me what you know."

Tony paused considering what Jack said, should he tell or not. Jack suddenly moved and stood so that his back was to the camera and the window.

"Tony, I can call the President and see what I can do to get your pardon, but the best thing I can do, is probably get you moved to a minimum security prison and have your sentence reduced to almost no time, it means that you won't get out immediately but compared to 20 years it will be nothing. I don't want to hurt Michelle but hold out a little longer." He whispered so Tony could hear but the microphones couldn't.

"Fine, but whatever you do don't you dare lay a finger on Michelle or I will kill you." Tony whispered back and with that Jack once again left to go outside and make the call.

-----

Jack was just about to call the President when his phone rang, it was Chloe.

"What have you got for me Chloe?"

"Well, I thought I'd check all withdrawals made by Michelle from any of her accounts. I started the search in Mexico but nothing came up, so I thought that maybe she was trying to cover up so I checked her balance it has quite large, and she hadn't made any large withdrawals."

"She doesn't need to hide, she's not committed any crimes."

"That's what I thought, so I checked to see it there were money being paid in and it turned out that there was a substantial amount being paid in each month, like a pay check."

"That's not surprising Chloe, Michelle probably has a new job."

"Whatever it is t pays good money. But Jack those payments were coming in from here Los Anglos. She never left Jack. She's been living in Los Anglos the whole time."

"Then why did she lie?"

"Most likely to throw you off the scent, she wanted to cut all tie from here, what better way to do it then to pretend to move miles away. She stayed in Los Anglos because it's the closest city to Lack Burant Prison!"

"Chloe did you try and find out which firm was putting in the money into her account."

"I already checked it's a large business called American Architectural Image, they have small branches in all major American cities, they study public buildings and preserve them."

"Have you contacted the L.A branch, and they said that they didn't have a Michelle Dessler. Jack if she's not trying to hide then why did she change her name?"

"I don't know let me call them, do you have the number?"

"Yes."

"Send it to me."

"Doing it know.

"By the way, good job on getting the information in such a short amount of time."

"Thank you Jack," Then she hung up he phone

Jack quickly dialled in the number Chloe had sent him. Chloe wasn't the most persuasive person, but he on the other hand could be, so if Michelle was there he was sure that he could find out.

"Hello Americas Architectural Image, how may we help you?" said a woman's voice.

"Hi, I would like to speak to the highest ranking person there please."

"Er..my boss?"

"If that's the highest ranking person there than yes, I would like to speak to your boss."

"Well, I'm sorry but she's in a meeting at the moment."  Jack swore quietly. "Can I take a message though?" Suddenly Jack had an idea.

"Actually maybe you could help me."

"Certainly, how can I help?"

"How many people work in the L.A branch?

"Er..not that many, only around 40 I'd say."

"Does everyone know everyone else then?"

"I'd say so, why are you looking for someone in particular?

"Yes, her names Michelle Dessler. I know she works here and it's of the up most importance I find her."

"Well I think you must be mistaken because no Michelle Dessler works here."

Jack thought for a second, "Can you hold for a second?" He asked.

"Certainly."

Jack immediately called Chloe, "Chloe when you phoned who did you speak to?"

"The chairmen there, his name's Sean Coalfront, why?"

"Because I'm on the phone to a woman who says there isn't a Michelle Dessler working there. If we spoke to different people and they both say she doesn't work there then she most likely doesn't, not under that name anyway. She must be using an alias."

"But why? Like you said she has nothing to hide."

"I don't know. Chloe go through all of Michelle's old case files she if she ever assumed an alias." He hung up and walked back into the interrogation room.

"Tony, if Michelle ever assumed an alias what would she call herself?"

"Jack you think I'm gunna answer so that you can bring my wife in and torture her so that I tell what you need to know. You think I'm that dumb?" Jack put his call off hold.

"Ms. are you sure you don't have a Michelle Dessler working there?"

"Yes I'm quite sure Sir." At this Tony laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing"

"Tony?"

"Did you ask if a Michelle _Almaidia _worked there?" Jack said nothing, "You didn't!" At this Tony laughed again only this time louder.

"Ms, do you have a Michelle Almaidia working there."

"Yes we do, she's in the meeting right now."

"Thank you Ms." Jack hung up and involuntary went red with embarrassment, which only added fuel to Tony's fit of laughter.

"Jack, just because I'm in prison doesn't mean we're not married!" he said in-between laughing. At that Jack phoned Chloe right in front of Tony. Tony shut up straight away.

"Chloe, she is working there, get Michelle into CTU now, use force if need be."

"Jack, that's not funny," Tony said seriously.

"It wasn't meant to be. I haven't got through to the president yet and your are only lead so far so whether you like it or not you will co-operate." At that Jack walked out the room and straight into the room next door which looked into the interrogation room.

"Mr. Glint, I need the prisoner in there to be moved to CTU in L.A."

"I'm going to need clearance."

"NO you don't, in the event of a national threat to security the CTU takes precedence so you just have to follow my orders and I'll take the heat for it afterwards and say you were under my orders if you mess up."

"Fine then I'll have him escorted to CTU."

"Good I want it done within 30 minuets." Then Jack returned to the corridor to finally phone the President.

--------

"Mr. President you have a Jack Bauer on the line to speak to you, should a patch him through?" David frowned to himself, Jack was supposed to wait, but then when had Jack ever done what he was supposed to do.

"Yes, I'll speak to him."

"Mr. President, I know you haven't come to a conclusion. I realise that one of the main reasons you don't want to release Mr. Almaidia is because it would look bad for the Presidential campaign, am I right in thinking this?"

"Sadly yeas Jack."

"Well I think there is a way round that Mr. President Sir."

"And what would that be?

"Have him moved to a minimum security prison and have his sentence reduced to four months, it means that he won't get out till after the election, so he can't effect your campaign." David smiled, it was a clever idea.

"You should have gone into politics Jack, it's a very god idea."

"Thank you Mr. President" Jack said relief etched in his voice. "I'm going to need that in writing, and I need you permission to let him go for a short while."

"What you mean Bauer?"

"He may be able to infiltrate Yusef's terrorist group again but it does mean he as to go undercover, not many people are going to be happy that our only chance to stop this is going to be to send a man undercover who has been in Jail because of treason." 

"Fine Jack, I'll get it in writing and you have my permission, just get rid of the threat and keep Almaidia's wife safe this time!" Jack hung up, not sure if the last part of what President Palmer had said had been a bad attempt at humor of some twisted order. He headed towards the car-park. It was only when he was in the car and driving down the motorway that he realized they were still going to go pick Michelle up. Well it would be keep her safe and would be a nice surprise for Tony.

---------------

Ok, finally finished. First proper chapter, first was a kind of a prologue of sorts. But if you want me to put in a second chapter then I need five more reviews. So read and review

Please excuse the spelling and grammar mistakes. It's a very long chapter! (11 pages longest chapter I've ever written)

Please read review


	3. 2

Michelle looked around her, she'd been in CTU countless times, and it hadn't changed that much since she left, but then she'd only glanced around quickly before being manhandled into one of the interrogation rooms. They still hadn't told her why she was here.

"HELLO!" she said loudly. She knew the place had microphones so they could hear her. "WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY I'M HERE!" she looked directly into the camera, still no one came to explain. Michelle settled back into the chair, realising she'd just have to wait.

Less than 200 ft Tony was being brought into CTU, handcuffed and in a prison suit. Everyone looked up, some very confused, it was strange seeing there once superiors being brought in handcuffs. Tony was led into the interrogation room next door to the one where Michelle was, although he didn't know it.

Jack followed quickly after Tony came in and went straight to Chloe's desk calling Adam over at the same time.

"Listen, I've got Jack a half pardon," both looked questionably at him, "I explain later, so it means we don't have use Michelle." Both sighed in relief none had wanted the job of watching it, they all still counted Michelle as there friend.

"But Tony will work better knowing she's safe, so she's staying here, maybe she'll even be able to help us. Chloe go in and talk to Michelle, explain to her the situation, but don't tell her that Tony's next door. Say you've called her in because……because of a past case of Tony's and we thought he night have told her,"

"I don't think she'll believe that"

"Then make something else up!" Jack replied testily. "Adam, I need you to brief me and Tony on any new information and take down all the things he gives us, can you put it right onto the server in the interrogation room?"

"Give me a few minuets to get a laptop and get it ready."

"Afterwards I'll need both of you to brief the rest of CTU on the information we have." Adam immediately got up to go and get the laptop. Chloe went to go and see Michelle and Jack went upstairs to his office to check if he'd received any emails from division and to change his top and hopefully grab something to eat.

------

Tony looked around, he remembered the last time he'd been in this room and been sitting down waiting to be interrogated. He'd been with Michelle, that was probably the first time he realised he loved her, loved her with all his heart and soul. He'd told her that once, when the clung together one night in bed. She'd smiled and said she didn't know if she deserved such things. He'd laughed and told that she deserved everything on the planet, her reply had been, "but do I deserve you? I wake up everyday thinking that your going to look around see someone better and just leave me, your to perfect for me and one day I worry that you'll relies it as well," that single remark still stuck with him, her complete lack of awareness of herself still amazed him. God he loved her so much, she may not realise that she's perfect but he knew it. They'd always been impulsive when it came to there relationship, they knew that anything could happen, so they'd both treasured every moment they had with each other, they never became complacent with each other life like most married couples. Sure they had their ups and the downs, they'd had lots of downs, but they always came through for each other. So even if it meant that having to wait 20 years before he touched her he would, no-one would hurt her, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if someone did and he knew he could've stopped it.

The door opened and Jack walked in with Adam.

"I'll help, just don't hurt Michelle."

"We won't have to. The president has granted your request, minimum security prison for four months, it's the best I could do."

"I'll take it,"

"You already have, now you honour your side of the bargain, tell us everything you know about Yusef and his men."

"Yusef is from the Middle East, not sure which country but something happened, family got killed I think, anyway he blames America for his lose to this day and wants to seek his revenge by destroying America. He had 8 men that worshipped him. 3 Mexicans, 2 Russians, 1 from Eastern Europe and 2 from Middle East like him. I never knew there real names because on the occasions I met them they were under cover they had just started a long-term project and so all had aliases. Jack what is the threat anyway?" Jack explained to him what Yusef was trying to do. "Jesus Jack! Yusef must have got hundreds of followers, how come no agency in the country, or even in the WORLD, didn't see this coming!"

"Tony get back to telling us what you know, do you know any of these men's real names?"

"No, like I said these men were undercover."

"They didn't use there real names even when they were Yusef?" Adam asked.

"No, Yusef wouldn't let them because he said they had to sink into there roles completely and I quote 'sink yourself into the filth that is the Western World. For we must seem to be like them, until we can wash the people in the West of this filth'. He has bases in places all over the world and has many places even in America where he can receive shelter."

"Could you name some of those places?"

"A downtown club here in L.A, called Primrose Evening, an apartment in New York, a house in Washington D.C. and a shop in Las Vegas. That was in 1996 I don't know if they're still there."

"Could you give us the name of these Aliases?"

"Only two I'm afraid, Terry Lafron and the other is called Larry Magnos. Jack how are you going to get me back in with Yusef? I'm not even sure if those places still exist."

"We'll deal with it later fist tell me more of what you know. Everything you're telling us is new." Jack said

"The way Yusef works is to give a little warning, like if a place is about to be bombed he'll give everyone two minuets to get out of the building. He doesn't like to do one big thing, Yusef would think it happened to quickly, he likes to do lots of small things but put together they make a big difference. Mass suicide bombings sound like just thing he'd do. They'll most likely happen at the same time and when all his targets are at there busiest. How did you get this information that Yusef was planning a mass suicide bombing? Do you have a time frame?"

"No, not as yet. You think this source was told to tell us today because it's happening today?"

"I don't know. Yusef likes to warn them because then when it happens he feels better because he warned them and in his eyes it's our own fault if we didn't manage to stop it. Or it could be that the source actually told us in advance, but I highly doubt that matters because Yusefs probably just moved the date forward to compensate for having his plan found out. But I wouldn't be surprised if Yusef told the source to come to us today, Jack you have to check the reliability of that source? I don't care if you got an email saying its reliable from the N.S.A have someone check it out anyway. That's all I can think of right now."

"Adam, go and find out of that source is reliable, then get people working on whether those places Yusef went to hide in 1996 are still around and see what you can find on those two men." Jack ordered, Adam got up and left. As soon as Adam was gone, Tony spoke to Jack;

"Jack, Michelle's innocent of all this, can you get in contact with her and tell what's happened to me, also tell her to get out of the city, I'll work better knowing she's safe."

"They brought her in before I spoke to the president, don't worry they haven't lad a finger on her,"

"She's in the building?"

"Yes."

"Jack, I have to see her."

"I can't let you, I'm sorry."

"Jack cut the bullshit, your Director of CTU, this is your domain you could let me see her. If you were in my shoes and it was Teri next door, what would you want?!"

Jack was silent for a moment, "Fine, I'll give you 5 minutes to get to know each other again."

"I don't want anyone looking or listening in."

"I'll make sure of it." Jack walked out. Tony suddenly felt nervous, just like he'd felt the moment before he knocked on Michelle's door on their first date.

------

"Chloe I know you're lying to me, now tell me what the hell I'm doing back at CTU being held against my will!" Michelle said almost shouting. Chloe had been trying to tell her why she was being held here but Michelle knew it was all lies. Suddenly the door opened and Jack walked in. "Jack why the hell am I here? And I want the truth this time!"

"Tony is in the other interrogation room, he had information we needed. We were told to use you as leverage if he didn't talk." Jack said calmly.

"You were gunna torture me so my husband would tell you what he knew about some old case!" Michelle said shouting at Jack. "And you, you didn't even tell me my husband was in CTU" she shouted accusingly at Chloe, furious she sat down and glared at them.

"Yes. But it didn't come to that because the President gave him a half-pardon."

Michelle was dumbstruck, her bad mood was overtaken by surprise. This morning she'd woken up and looked at the ceiling and told herself she was going to wake up like this for the next 20 years, alone. Now Jack had just told her that her husband was free.

"What!? Jack I'm warning you if this is some joke I'll…."

"No. He's next door and he won't do anything until he can speak to you, come on Michelle." Michelle grabbed her jacket on and almost ran for the door and down the corridor. She thought Jack was going painfully slowly as he came down the corridor, 'I haven't felt this way since I was six and it was Christmas time' she thought to herself. After what seemed like an age Jack stood in front of the door and swiped his key card through.

"You have 5 minuets."

Michelle entered almost giddy with happiness and excitement. "Oh my god, Tony!" she ran into his arms. They were the same as she remembered, safe and warm. He hadn't changed that much, well a little more skinny but he was still the same, although he looked different in his orange jumpsuit. "I missed you so much" she whispered into his ear. Tony replied "But we're together again, it's alright we'll get through this." Casting a quick glance at the camera and hoping Jack had stuck to his word, he kissed her. It was like their first kiss, one full on longing and desperation, it wasn't like other ones which seemed mundane. This was full of a longing and had a sense of desperation neither knew they were capable of, sending shocks to both all the way down to their toes. It finally dawned on Tony how much he had truly missed her, and it scared him because he hadn't realised until now, how much he depended on Michelle. She seemed more amazing then he'd ever realised, so much better in the flesh than in his mind. He held her closer, hoping to meld her into himself so that he'd never have to be without her again. Michelle rested her head in-between the crock of his head and shoulders, she felt as if she could stay like this all day. Tears threatened to spill but she held them back, just.

"Don't ever leave me again, I don't think I could handle it." The tears came now

"Shh honey, Its alright." He said stroking her hair, she'd kept it the same length, and it felt silky underneath his hands.

In front of a T.V monitor in the other room Jack watched, he'd said 5 minutes but that had come and gone a minute ago. He couldn't bring himself to go into that room and break their embrace. He'd give a few more minutes then he'd have to, Tony had work to do.

"Tony," Michelle said pulling away just slightly, but still holding his hand, "What did Jack mean when he said you had a half-pardon?" Tony explained what would happen, "Four moths! Why couldn't they just pardon you?"

"I don't know, but it's minimum security. So at least I can hold and speak to you face to face and not through glass and a phone cable." Michelle smiled and was about to say something when Jack walked in.

"Jack can you give us a few more minuets?"

"No, you've already had ten, you've got work to do Tony."

"What? You didn't say anything about work. What work?" She said panicked. "Someone explain to me what the hells going on."

Jack looked at Tony, "You haven't told her?"

"No"

"Fine, Michelle part of the barging was that Tony would go undercover again." He then went on to explain what threat to National Security there was.

"What!? Tony you can't do this!" She said in disbelief. "I only just got you back I don't want to lose you all over again."

"You're not, but I have to do this" Tony said quietly, he squeezed her hand to reassure her.

"Fine, then I'm helping, I can work on a desk and analyse and cross-reference any information you've got."

"No, I won't risk you!"

"Tony, what's the risky part of this. All I'll be doing is sitting in front of a computer!"

"What if CTU is one of the places they try and attack?!"

"It'll give you more incentive to work harder Tony." Jack barked harshly, "Tony we need as many people as possible to sort this out, Michelle was, IS one of the best, we need as many hands on this as possible I'm not going to turn her down. Michelle you go to Adam explain that your staying here and Tony you go upstairs to my office I'll de-brief you up there." Tony and Michelle walked out together. As they got to the main offices they split apart out of habit, they were so used to trying to keep the relationship out of work as much as possible.

Michelle walked straight over to Adam and told him what she was doing here.

"That's great, there's an empty desk just opposite Chloe, Cassandra's supposed to be there but she's away in Washington for her dads' funeral."

Michelle merely nodded and smiled and pretended to understand who and what Adam was talking about.

"Does my clearance still work?" She asked Adam.

"Give me a minute to upload it onto the network again" Adam stared at the screen and tapped in something onto his network. "There you should have the same access as you did just before you left."

Michelle sat down, and found the information they had on Yusef so far. As soon as the names Terry Lafron and Larry Magnos appeared on her screen Michelle knew she'd heard or read them somewhere before she just couldn't remember where, quickly she phoned Adams desk.

"Adam have we cross referenced these names with past records?"

"Yeh it was the first thing we did, nothing came up. Why?"

"I've seen these names before, I just can't…" she trailed of as she suddenly remembered where she'd heard these names before. Hanging up the phone she rushed up the stairs and into Jacks office.

"Michelle what's wrong?" Tony said looking at her.

"Tony you can't go undercover they'd know who you were in an instant."

"Why?"

"Because I told them."

"WHAT?!" Both men said in unison.

"Look, I hadn't realised. Jack you know that I work for a company called Americas Architectural Image. We get hired by the government all the time to do maintenance work on government or public buildings. We have eight offices in America, The man in charge of the New York division is called Terry Lefton and the man in charge of the Las Vegas division is Larry Mangos." Both men were quite after she finished with her revelation.

"They're using it was a cover," Jack said, stating the obvious.

"Jack, my boss is called Sean Coalfront, he has a Russian accent sometimes, They have the schematics to almost every Public building in almost every big city. They could tamper with designs and no one would know. So all it could take is one strategically placed suicide bomber and the place could go down."

"Jesus Michelle, this is too big a coincidence."

"It's not, they came to me and offered me the job. They knew my background Jack, they know that I used to work at CTU and they knew what happened to my husband. Just before you came and picked me up, I was in a meeting. Sean basically asked how loyal I was to America and if I'd do a job for them, not IT mundane stuff I'm doing now. They wanted me to hack into CTU. I didn't understand them then but now…."

"They want to stay one step ahead and find out what we knew on them." Tony said finishing her sentence.

"Are you sure they know what Tony looks like?"

"Yes. I have a picture of us on my desk. Most people at the office have seen it."

Jack swore, "Look Michelle could you…"

"No way Jack, Michelle is not going to do anything" Tony said understanding what Jack was about to say.

"I can speak for myself Tony." Michelle said.

"We need to know which buildings they have blueprints for and Michelle can patch a lead between CTU and here, and hack into the main files for us. Look as soon as that's done we'll bring Sean and the rest of the office workers in."

"Jack, I don't think that any of the others have anything to do with it. Most are just men and women doing their job."

"Yes but they may know something so we can't pass this opportunity up."

Tony stayed quite.

"Tony I've got some clothes here so you can get changed, look, you can stay here and help us sift through the information."

"Fine"

"Michelle go down and tell Adam that you're going to need a feed from here at your office. Tony you can work at Michelle's station. Michelle I'll see you outside and I'll drive you back to work. Don't even ask Tony, you can't come. Your not allowed off the premises unless you're under guard."

-------

Jack and Michelle drove in an uneasy silence, suddenly Jacks phone rang.

"Bauer."

"It's Adam, can you pass me to Michelle, I need to talk to her about the link she's going to put on her computer." Jack passed the phone.

"Who is it?"

"Adam, something about the link." Michelle took the phone and spoke for a few minuets. She hung up the phone and passed it to Jack. They were about to lapse into an uneasy silence when Michelle spoke;

"I forgot to thank you earlier."

"What about?"

"Getting Tony off the hook."

"It was nothing."

"No it wasn't nothing. You could have just used me but you didn't, you spoke to the president and met him half way and for that I have to say thank you." Jack blushed.

"I would never have used you," he mumbled, "I saw you every day before you left, and you two even invited me to your wedding. I couldn't have done it even if I was ordered to do so."

"You were ordered."

"But I didn't do it." There was silence but this time it was more comfortable.

"Michelle, why did you lie to me when you left and I asked you about where you were moving to?"

"I thought that if you thought I was moving far away you wouldn't come looking for me, I didn't want to be found, that's why I didn't even tell my husband where I'd moved to in my letters." Jack nodded, silence again, Michelle broke it this time. "Where's Kim? I didn't see her in CTU"

"She got married."

"Congratulations, who was it?"

"Chase."

"You don't sound happy. What's wrong?"

"I just think…"

"Think she could do better." Michelle finished for him. Jack said nothing and Michelle took his silence as a yes. "Jack, I know Kim's precious to you. And I highly doubt there is one man in this world that is good enough for Kim in your eyes, but she's grown up, you can't look after her anymore. But if you think of all the idiotic men in the world Chase isn't that bad." Jack said nothing for a while taking in what Michelle had said finally he mumbled quietly;

"Never thought of it like that." Michelle smiled.

"That's just it Jack, you're a pessimist," she joked quietly. The rest of the journey was in comfy silence.

---------------

The car slowly rolled to a stop a little down from the office block that house America Architectural Image.

"You know what you have to do?" Jack asked for the hundredth time, as Michelle opened the door and started to remove things from the back. Jack got out and put the microphone on her,

"I don't know why you're doing this Jack." Michelle muttered

"Because if anything happens to you Tony will murder me."

"Jack I've been working here for 2 months now, there not going to suspect me going in and working on a computer."

"I don't care we're not taking any chances. Chloe's hacked into there security system so we can see everything they see." Jack was saying this to reassure her, but Michelle seemed relaxed and thought they were all over reacting. "Be careful, they may not seem it but these men are dangerous, remember all you have to do is go in help us set up the link to CTU and then get out, we can do the rest. We'll send men in to get Sean and the rest of your co-workers after you've come out. But just for a precaution," he slipped a mobile phone into her pocket.

Michelle turned and started to walk towards the building as soon as she turned into the building Jack called up CTU.

"Almaida."

"Settling in then Tony?"

"Shut up Jack."

"Send me the images to the computer in the SUV." Seconds later the computer in his car showed him what the security cameras in the building saw. He watched as Michelle entered the building and flashed her identity card at the guards.

-

Michelle walked past the guards and stepped into the lift, pressed her floor and waited for it to go up. Casting a quick glance at the camera she waited as the left slowly moved up. She ran through her mind what she was going to do and how she was going to do it. The doors opened and she stepped out, Americas Architectural Image, A.A.I for short only took up a floor. She quickly went over to her desk and started to set up the feed from her end when she heard her name being called, looking up she saw Sally, someone she'd come to recognise as a friend since she'd started working at A.A.I.

"Hey Chelle, who were those guys and why did they come pick you up?"

"They wanted to speak to me about my husband." Michelle half-lied effortlessly.

"Jesus they just don't seem to be able to leave you alone do they?"

"Look Sal, I've gotta catch up on the work I was supposed to do, can I tell you about it during coffee break."

"Sure!" Sally said wandering off. Michelle re-opened the file and continued to work, within 5 minuets she was almost finished, she was looking through the schematics they had on the server as they were uploaded and was amazed that so much information was being shown and that A.A.I was allowed access to it. She watched as the computer confirmed the link and slowly got her coat and was heading towards the door when someone called her name, she turned around to see Sean coming towards her.

"Michelle, about our private meeting earlier I wanted to know if you made a decision." Michelle mentally smacked herself. She forgot to tell Jack about her meeting earlier because if all the things that had happened between Tony and her. She'd briefly mentioned it to him when she'd first realised who Sean really was. Earlier today she'd had a meeting with him, at first the meeting had been about what was going on in the office but had slowly turned towards more darker subjects.

"Did you know that I was born in Russia, most of my childhood friends, if they were still alive, would still live in the same small village I grew up in." Sean had said out of the blue. The remark had caught Michelle by surprise, Sean and her never really spoke about there private lives it was normally just about business.

_"I'm sorry, what happened?"_

_"We were betrayed, a bit like you."_

_"How do you mean?"_

_"The Americans, they made you give up everything for this country, and then they took your husband. The Americans took our only livelihood and said they could protect us but then when we were attacked they didn't defend us and we were slaughtered." Michelle didn't understand what Sean was saying and she was getting scared, she'd never seen this part of him before. "I don't tell many people that part about my life, but I feel I can trust you Michelle because you understand what it is like to be betrayed by this country. You used to work at CTU, isn't that right?"_

_"Yes." She replied nervously._

_"How hurt did you feel when they took your husband away?"_

_"Very."_

_"Were you angry at the system?"_

_"Yes."_

_"What if I said that there was a way to retaliate to the system, what would you do?"_

_Michelle was quite for a second, not knowing how to respond._

_"Well?" He asked again._

_"I'm not sure. Depends on what kind of retaliation."_

_"Fine, well think about it and I'll ask you later." The last sentence had been a dismissal so Michelle had left wondering what he had meant._

Now he was asking for her answer and now she knew what he meant. He wanted her to hack into CTU database so that A.M.D, Yusefs terrorist group, could stay one step ahead and not get caught.

Suddenly her mobile went off, she got it out, Jack was calling her.

"Sorry Sean, I have to take this call." She turned and walked away so that she could talk without having Sean listening to it.

"Michelle, get the hell out of there. We have the link!"

"Jack I can't, listen to me," she explained about the meeting earlier that day. "Jack this could be my chance to infiltrate them. You and I both know that, its much better then just a link to what might possibly be the L.A targets.  If I can infiltrate them then I can narrow down the places that are being targeted. Jack this isn't going to happen again."

"I can't risk you Michelle, I'm sorry. If something happened to you I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I wouldn't be able to face Tony."

"Jack, this is more important then just me and Tony, hundreds of peoples lives are at risk. You were willing to risk Tony but you can't risk me! Jack, you know this is the best lead we've got so far." There was silence on Jacks end of the phone.

"Fine, but come out here so I can put a bug and tracking device on you. I can at least give the illusion that I'm looking after you." Michelle hung up and went back to Sean.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeh, suppose so."

"Have you considered my question since I spoke to you?"

"Yes."

"And your answer…"

"I want revenge, I want to retaliate." Sean smiled.

"Good, I'm glad you said that. I have a job for you."

"Can I do it in a few minuets I just have to get something. It's really important."

"Certainly."

"Thanks I'll be back in a few." Michelle went into lift, her heart thundering from the adrenaline going through her body. This was the first time she'd ever gone undercover, and she was scared.

"I don't care Jack, bring Michelle back now."

"Tony you can't tell me what to do."

"Damnit Jack, Michelle's never gone undercover. She doesn't know what to do if something happens."

"Michelle's a clever person, she'll know what to do. She's the best lead we've got so far."

"We set up a link, why can't we just bring Sean in and get him to tell us were everyone will be?"

"Because we'll be able to get him and stop the bombings in L.A and hopefully everywhere else but Yusef will only go into hiding once more and plan another strike at America for another time. Come one Tony, you know we have to do this."

"I just don't want any harm coming to Michelle." Tony said quietly.

"I'll do everything I can to make sure that nothing will go wrong, trust me. I'll have a tracker put on her and a bug so we'll hear everything she'll hear."

"That's still not good enough."

"It's the best we can do. Tony I'll look after her I promise but I need you to go through information we got from A.A.I and see if there's anything useful in there and I'll keep updating you on Michelle, alright?"

"I suppose it'll have to be." Jack hung up and saw Michelle coming towards him.

"You don't have to do this," Jack said half-heartedly, while removing the tracking device and bug from the car. He didn't know whether to be happy or distressed, happy because they'd finally got a solid lead on Yusef, of unhappy because he had to put Michelle in harms way to get that lead.

"Shut up Jack you know I have to." Jack didn't try to dissuade her, deep down he knew it was the right thing to do. Quickly and efficiently he put both tracker and bug onto her.

"Both CTU and I will hear everything you say and is said around you." He said to reassure himself more than to reassure Michelle.

"What if they want a demonstration?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if they want me to show them that I can hack into CTU?"

"I'll get someone to set up a folder, I'll tell them to place it near Yusefs folder, it'll have falsified information in it."

"Thanks"

 "I'd like to give you a gun but they'll find it on you almost certainly and then they'd shoot you…Michelle you realise that once you go in there, there will be no way back until they're in jail. I want you to realise what you're getting yourself into." Michelle didn't reply, obviously thinking about what he'd said, finally she answered;

"I understand but sometimes things are just to big for us to come first. But if anything does happen to me, just tell Tony…."

"Nothing will happen" Jack said firmly. "Say something I want to see if I can hear you."

"If something does happen you know what to say to Tony."

Jack replied by just nodding.

"I can hear you. You better go back inside before Sean gets suspicious." Michelle was just about to leave when Sean reminded her of what he'd said.

"Jack, in the meeting he went on about losing everyone he held dear in Russia, something about taking livelihood and not protecting them when they said they would. Check and see if there were any mass genocide in Russia in the 1970's or 80's, Sean was most likely a survivor." With that she turned and headed towards the building as Jack got out his phone and went to call CTU with the information Michelle had just given him and set up the folder.

---

Michelle entered and once again stepped into the elevator, as she stepped out Sean immediately came over to her.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked. Sean smiled, it reminded her of a snake.

"Come with me," he said leading her into his office. He closed the door and looked at her, as a farmer would sizing up cattle. Suddenly she thought that maybe what she was doing was not such a good idea, but then Sean looked towards the office as if to make sure that no-one could see or hear them.

"Michelle what I'm about to tell you is very important. He's angry enough that he doesn't know you very well and didn't hand pick you himself but he's furious that your being brought on so late. He says you could destroy everything he worked so hard to achieve, but I think you could save us." Michelle was completely lost and didn't understand what Sean was going on about, but she guessed that the 'He' Sean kept referring to was Yusef.

"Sean, you've lost me. Who's this He you keep referring to and what could I destroy or save. If I'm going to help you I need to know what I'm doing."

"Sorry, of course, you don't know, it's just I've been doing this so long I expect everyone to know."

"Know what?" Michelle said again. Three floors down and sitting in his car Jack smiled, Michelle was a natural as this. Less that 5 minuets and she was about to get a confession of sorts. Back in the office Michelle waited expectantly.

"I'm part of a liberation group." Michelle knew that was the nice term for terrorist. "I work with a fantastic man. He helped me when I was in need and I choose to follow him." Sean's face relaxed as if recalling some fantastic dream. Michelle realised that Sean was mad, deluded into thinking he was fighting for the betterment of the people.

" He has a dream of helping good people, but some people in power are stopping him from helping everyone. So they have to be made to listen."

"Is that what your doing, making them listen?"

"Yes, we're going to make a loud noise."

"How?"

"Oh don't worry that doesn't concern you. But afterwards we need to know what CTU think, that's why we need you. We need you to get in there for us."

"CTU won't accept we with open arms, I handed in my resignation. They'll be suspicious if I turn up on their doorstep saying I want my old job back."

"No, all I need is for you to go in the back way."

"You want me to hack into their database."

"To put it bluntly yes."

"Only if you tell me everything. I want to go in knowing what I'm getting myself in for."

"Fine, tomorrow evening there will be a loud noise…"

"Tell what this loud noise is going to be." Michelle said starting to get annoyed.

"Tomorrow all the site bosses of A.A.I will remove the shackles that bind them to this god-forsaken land and reveal themselves.."

"Sean! Stop speaking in riddles and just tell me! What is going to happen?

"Fine! Tomorrow evening we bring to America what they have only seen in the news. There will be mass suicide bombings all over America in every one of the cities that we have a branch." He looked expectantly at Michelle.

"We've branches in New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Seattle, Boston, Washington, Miami, New-Port. Thousands of people could die."

"I know but thousands of people are dying in the world already because of America. It's time they knew what it was like. And He's sorry that it had to come to this but there deaths are for a greater purpose. You must understand America is corrupt! They pardon the traitor Nina Myers, but the put your husband in jail! You must help us, you can not back out now because you know to much."

Jack heard what Sean said, he panicked, Michelle couldn't back out know but he didn't know if she could handle the heat. "Keep it together Michelle," he mumbled to himself. His phone rang Jack picked it up.

"Jack, we have to pull her out NOW! The guy's a psycho!"

"Calm down Tony, Michelle's doing great."

"Bollocks! The guys a psycho we have to get her out,"

"We can't he'll just kill her, there's nothing we can do we just have to play this out. Have you set up the file?"

"Yes, it's got some information we've got on him and a few false leads we thought we had on him a while ago. Hold on a second, Adams trying to get me on the other line." Tony disappeared and Jack focused on Michelle again.

"Fine, I'll do it."

"You don't sound happy about it."

"I don't like the idea of mass murder. What if we get caught, we'll get the death sentence."

"Well that's why I hired you in the first place, you used to work for CTU, you get into CTU's network and keep updating me on what they know about us and we won't get caught. And if we do I'll tell them that you knew nothing of what was going on, all you have to do is agree with what ever I say. The deaths are necessary though regrettable, and you'll get paid handsomely for your work."

Jacks phone beeped again.

"Tony what is it?"

"Get Michelle out of there now!"

"Look Tony I've already told you that it's not possible."

"That man is Christof Bolshiev."

"What!?" Jack said in disbelief. "He died in 1997."

"That was when this company was set up. Jack please for the love of God get Michelle out! We both know what he's capable of."

"Tony I know your worried about Michelle but…"

"Jack we both saw the photos of the remains of that American Family, he tortured and butchered every single one of them, if he finds out about Michelle…." Tony trailed off. Jack remembered the case photos, it'd made his stomach turn, Jamie who had been new at that time had been sick and Nina had had to leave the room. Christof was a psycho killer with a vendetta against Americans because when he had been just 6 his entire village in the north west of Russia had been wiped out by bandits, he was one of 2 survivors. He blamed Americans because they had a barracks not far and had not come to the aid of his village.

The American family that had been slaughtered had consisted of a mum, dad and two young children, all of them had been tortured before being killed. Christof was supposed to have died in a raid made but he had obviously survived.

"Are you sure that it's him?"

"Yes, Chloe checked his office records there to the file we have on him. The photos are almost exact except that he lost his beard. Jack…oh shit…."

"What?" Jack asked.

"Michelle's started hacking into CTU, I've got to make a hole in the firewall, dammit  I thought I'd have more time. Hold on a sec Jack……"Jack heard Tony shout at someone. "No, don't stop her, yes she's trying to hack in…..I know, no let her in don't stop her." Tony spoke down the phone, "Jesus Jack, your new IT person's a stickler to the rules."

"His names Terry and he's new. He doesn't know you and how we normally work around here. She in?"

"Yep. Jack…"

"Shut up I need to listen to Michelle, call me back in anything new comes up." Tony was about to protest but Jack just hung up the phone.

Ok people chapter no 2 there for you.

First can I thank you all so much for your fantastic reviews and thank you for pointing out that I spelt Tony's last name wrong. SORRY and to the fact that I there are actually more days in the year than I wrote down.

I need 7 more reviews before I continue, (I got 6 in one evening, I was so happy.) and the third chapter may take a little longer to upload because I have no idea where this story is going anymore so could you help me by giving me plot ideas and if Iike it I may well use it, email plot ideas to me at or tell me in my reviews

Hope you enjoy and excuse spelling mistakes  and thanks again for all the really good review

(Excuse the random line in the story my computer keeps playing up)


	4. 3

Ok, I found my muse, it was under the bed, I also found a sock and an old sandwich. Any way thank you so much for all you reviews, and I'm English, not American or Canadian. I live in London and I have all my life. I do need guidance on where I should take this story because I feel it's dawdling. Anyway for the next chapter which I'm writing I need 4 more reviews. Thank you so much for all you support so far

Michelle looked out the window wondering for the 100th time if she'd gone in over her head.  Christof finished saying something, but Michelle was only half listening.

"Mr. Coalfront, there's a man down in the lobby insistent that he see you." Rebecca, his secretary, said on his phone which was set to loudspeaker. "Shall I bring him in to see you?"

"No, I'll go down to him. Excuse me Michelle this will only take a few minuets." Sean got up and headed to the elevator. As soon as he stepped outside the office her phone rang, making sure Sean wasn't looking she answered, it was Jack.

"Michelle, go onto his computer and get the link to come from his computer and see if there's anything you can send us." Michelle sat in his chair and looked at the computer.

"Ok, I'm in his system logs, I'm not even sure what I'm looking for. To get the link set up I have to attach it to something, I don't know what he looks at so I don't know if he'll find it or not."

"I don't understand."

Michelle spoke while working on the computer a trait she'd become very good when she'd worked at CTU. "To get the link to work I have attach it to a file or something in the system. On my computer I attached it to something that isn't used much, but on his computer I don't know how much he uses his programs.

Jack it would just be easier if I sent you his server in an attachment to an email.

"Fine just get us the information on his computer." There was silence as Michelle tapped on the keyboard. After about a minute Michelle swore down the phone.

"What?" Jack asked worried.

"I can't attach the information to an email by logging onto the internet…"

"Because…"

"Because the program is all in Russian!" She said sounding exasperated. "Jack, Sean's going to be back in a few minuets I don't think I can send it to you in that amount of time."

"Michelle I'm going to patch you through to Chloe maybe she can help." There was a pause, "Chloe it's Jack, Michelle needs your help on attaching Sean's server onto an email or something like that."

"Michelle, it's Chloe. Have you tired filtering it through?"

"Don't have time, I could send it to my server but I'm not sure that I could get back to my desk to send it back to CTU."

"That's all right the link means we can hack into your computer, all you have to do is send everything there and we'll be able to download the rest."

"Fine hold on a sec while I get the information together."

"Michelle after you've done this I'm pulling you out." Jack said as Michelle was typing she stopped momentarily in astonishment.

"Jack, why the hell are you doing this? I'm your best resource for information at the moment." Jack was silent as he considered what he should tell Michelle.

"We found out who Sean Coalfront really is. He's a man called Christof, he had a history of violence. Everyone thought he died in a raid in 1997, but it turns out he survived and joined Yusef Ali and went on to go undercover in the west as Sean Coalfront. He's very dangerous. I've decided it would be better to just pull you out and place him under arrest and interrogate him at CTU to see if he knows anything."

"Are you sure it's your idea and not Tony's." She said.

"Michelle…"

"Jack, I know Tony and you are worried about me but I can handle this. The stakes are to high for me to back down."

"Michelle…" Jack started to say but she hung up the phone. Jack swore and hit the steering wheel in anger but deep down he knew h had no other choice.   

-------

 Christof slowly stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby, not stopping he kept walking out into the car park. He cast a glance around to make sure no-one was looking and then headed towards a Black SUV. He got in the passenger side at the front, turning to the person in the driving seat he said in Russian;

"She bought every word I said."

"Good, there is still the man outside, he is in another SUV. Our friend tells me that his name is Jack Bauer, and that he is very good and that he often does not follow protocol, he is a loose cannon. A person we must be wary of."

"I think no-one can stop us, not this far into our plans. Nothing can stop it from happening."

"Do not be so arrogant as to say that Christof?" The man in the driving seat hissed turning quickly to face Christof, before he had been staring outside. "Until it is has happened it can always be stopped."

"I am sorry comrade…."

"Don't call me comrade, I can no less stand you than you can me, the only reason we have not killed each other yet is because of our hate for the Americans. I can not stand you because of the sheer delight you take in taking the lives of others and the grotesque way you do it. And you can not stand me because of the way I've lived."

"You prostituted yourself to the West!" Christof said, his voice rising and full of hatred.

"Because I had to survive!" The man replied. "But for now we must put are differences aside until we have done our task. You remember what you had to do?"

"Yes, I've been doing it for the last few years. I continue to act the delusional terrorist, let her think that she has the upper hand, bring her down her and then we take her." Christof said reaching into the passenger seat beyond and pulling out a briefcase. From the briefcase he removed a gun. "And if she doesn't comply then I shoot"

"Only to WOUND, remember that Christof. If she dies before she has outlived her usefulness because of your lust for death then you will finally visit death yourself."

"If they do not comply with our demands though?"

"You get to use her as your new plaything." The man said, he looked disgustedly at Christof when he saw the look of pure glee that came from his face at the prospect of receiving Michelle as his new play toy.

Christof got out the car while fitting the gun into the back of his trousers. Moving swiftly he went back to the elevator and pressed the button to A.A.I and day-dreamed how he would play with Michelle. The longest one of his play toys had lived was twelve days, and it had only died when it had slit his wrist when Christof wasn't looking. He hoped they didn't comply with their demands because Michelle was so pretty and he would love to break her and to hear her scream. The elevators opened and he stepped out heading towards his office and saw Michelle sitting right where he left her.

The Americans have no intelligence he told himself, if it were him he would have looked on his computer but then the Americans were dumb. Christof had no idea why people always thought so highly of them. They were still human, they could still bleed. "And some can bleed a lot," Christof whispered to himself. Composing himself briefly he stepped back into his office.

"Michelle, we have to leave." He said walking in.

"Why?" She asked bemused.

"Because something have changed, we will meet at a small restaurant just a short walk from here. Come we have to go. I have much to explain to you." Michelle grabbed her jacket and followed him as he walked out the door. Just like a lamb to the slaughter he thought to himself. 

--------

Jack picked up his phone,

"Jack she's walking down now, you should get a visual soon." Tony said

"Have you translated whatever was on his computer yet?" Jack said waiting to see Michelle come round the corner.

"Yeh but even in English it's still in code so we've got someone in from Division to do decode it. He's fluent in Russian so it helps. Ok, you should be seeing here come round the corner now." Jack looked up expectantly. A boy on a bike came past but not Michelle. Jack was instantly worried, getting out the car he ran towards the bike.

"Kid!" The boy didn't stop, instead he sped up. Jack got out his gun and shouted, "Kid, I belong to a federal agency, if you don't stop I'll be forced to shoot you!" The child immediately stopped. He turned round fear obvious in his face.

"Jack what the hell are you doing?!" Tony screamed down the phone.

"Tony has the signal stopped moving?" Jacked asked his gun still pointed at the boy.

"Yes why?"

"Shit," Jack whispered. "Tony on the bug are they saying anything,"

"Jack wh…."

"Do it Tony!" Jack shouted.

There was silence for a few seconds before Tony's voice crackled to life again.

"Yeh, Christof's talking about the restaurant there going to, what's going on?"

"I've got a boy at gunpoint, he's standing were Michelle should be if that signal was right,"

"What?" Tony said sounding panicked.

"Kid, were you told to take something?" The boy nodded. "What did they give you?"

"A small box, they said that there was a man in a car that was going to try and take it off me, they said that I was to get away from you at whatever cost."

"Did they pay you?"

"Yes, $200."

"Did they tell you where to go?"

"No, they wrote it on the paper, they wrote all the instructions on the paper. It was strange because they kept talking though out." Jack swore, they knew she had been bugged.

"Give me the box. Was there a woman with them?"

"Yes,"

"The man that gave you the instructions was he in contact with the woman."

"How do you mean?"

"Hand up her jacket."

"No, but one of the men had his one of his arms behind her." That meant they had a gun to her back.

"There was more then 1 man?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Just two, both looked in their 40's and white. One had blue eyes and the other brown err…. that's all I can remember about what they looked like, one went of to a car."

"What was it like?" Jack asked urgently.

"Big black SUV with tainted windows."

"Could you give us a registration number?" The boy was quite as he tried to remember.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't know that they were baddies." Jack lowered his gun, and held out his hand to receive the box. The boy handed it to him.

"Could you identify these men?" The boy nodded.

"Oh Jesus," Tony said down the phone, Jack remembered he hadn't cut Tony off, he'd just heard everything.

"Tony..."

"They got Michelle."

"Tony it'll be all right."

"How the fuck can it be ok, some homicidal maniac with a hate for Americans has got my wife!" Tony said raising his voice.

"Tony get together or I'll have you put back into custody. I need you to send someone to pick this boy up and I need you to get road blocks set up in a five mile radius." Jack ordered. Turning to the boy he said, "What's your name?"

"Cameron Brent, look if I'd realized that…"

"Shut up," Jack barked. "Go into that building and wait in the reception, someone will come to pick you up and take you to L.A's branch for the Counter Terrorist Unit." The boy turned to leave, "Cameron, you're not in any trouble now but if you run I'll find you and make sure that you go to Juvenile Prison for helping terrorists, even if you didn't know who they were, you could still be locked away for a very long time." Cameron gulped. "Do you understand?" Cameron nodded and went towards the building. Jack turned and went back to the car, speaking into it he called up Tony but Chloe answered.

"Have those road blocks been set up?"

"Yeh, there looking for a black SUV with tinted window." She replied.

"How's Tony?"

"Going stir crazy, poor guy. They must have known about this from the start, even while they were kidnapping they were talking calmly so we wouldn't become suspicious, we could have a mole at CTU."

"We could, but it could be in any agency, they all knew we'd brought in Tony. Maybe they were going to kidnap Michelle from the start, when they hired her they knew she'd worked at CTU. Maybe they knew they were going to kidnap her from the beginning when they hired her because people from CTU knew her, or they saw it as an opportunity because they knew we'd brought Tony back into play. There are a number of possibilities."

"What do you think?"

"I think that they were going to get her to hack into CTU the entire time and when they found out that we had gone to see Tony  and she disappeared for a while only to reappear later and give no explanation where'd she gone so was probably working for CTU again, they seized the opportunity and took her." He paused before changing the subject and asking "Has he given you the descriptions on the men?"

"Yeh, the brown eyed one is Christof, I put the other mans description into there office data base it came back negative, so we know that he doesn't work in A.A.I. so that just nails it down to the rest of the white male, graying hair, over 40 world. Jack it could be anyone." She said, exasperated

"His eyes are probably contacts."

"Well that just nails it down even further," she replied sarcastically.

"Pass me to Tony," They phone went silent for a moment before he picked up.

 "What?" He asked.

"You heard the description, when you were undercover, did you ever come across someone like that?"

"No, Chloe's already asked me that." he said quietly. Jack could tell Tony was churning up inside.

"Tony, we'll..." Suddenly he was cut off when Michelle's bug came back on. Jack had assumed that that Christof had taken it offline.

"I know that someone is most likely listening to this. As you must know we have taken Michelle Dessler, and you must know that we are planning to strike against the United States. We knew that you used Michelle to get information from us and that you tortured Xing Eurim, the former associate of Yusef Ali, to get more information. There is nothing you can do to stop this. You may bring in every person working in A.A.I but you will be too late. But to make his victory complete Yusef wants the traitor Tony Almeida, the man that betrayed Freedom Fall and almost destroyed A.M.D. If he is not handed over to us then his wife will become Christof's plaything, and we all know how badly he can damage his playthings. He must be alone at the 3rd pier at the docks in two hours; if he does not come alone then Michelle will be in Christof's care for the rest of her life, which won't be that long." At that the bug went dead.

"Tony," Jack said down the phone, he knew that Tony along with most of CTU had heard that transmission. Tony didn't respond. "Tony!" Jack almost shouted knowing that Tony could hear him. "Tony listen to me do not do anything rash, if you do you could be putting national security at risk again and that would mean you would have to go back into prison and I wouldn't be able to get you out again and it would most likely be death sentence. Tony! Are you listening to me?" Jack knew exactly what kind of thoughts were running through his head because his had been the same when Terri and Kim had been kidnapped.

"I'm listening" he replied quietly.

"Tony please don't do anything stupid."

"So don't do anything you would do?"

"Exactly" Jack smiled; even when things were this bad Tony could still make a joke out of it, he admired his strength.

Jack, I should have seen this coming. Oh god… Michelle's in the hand of a psycho, and I can't help her because I'm a prisoner. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to her. I love her so much Jack..." he said wistfully.

"Don't say that to me, say it to her, you'll get your chance. We'll find her I promise." Tony was about to say something when Jacks phone beeped, "Hold on Tony." Putting Tony on hold he answered, "Bauer."

"Sir, a black SUV just broke through the barricade just off the main road heading south." Jack listened intently to the policemen as he told Jack that there was a man fitting the description in the driving seat of Christof's mysterious friend, and two people in he back, but they hadn't got a good look at the driver to give anymore specific details. The SUV had driven right through the barrier not even slowing down. It had incapacitated the two police cars at the barrier so they couldn't chase it and when they'd shot at the back of the car the bullets had bounced off the back, showing that the car was bulletproof.

"Thank you." Jack said before hanging up the phone. Jack quickly put Tony off hold and explained to him what the policeman had said. "Pull the satellite photos from around that area." Jack turned around and headed in the direction of the barricade. If he could get there in the tem or so minuets he could probably catch them. Christof and his friend would only have made themselves that obvious if they were going to change cars soon or if the place they were taking Michelle was nearby. Hopefully the Sat-nav photos would be able to indicate where they'd gone.

"Jack, they're heading south," Jack quickly sped past the broken barricade, overtaking cars and going through red lights, leaving a path of angry drivers and horns sounding. "Take the next left and then an immediate right.

"Tony send backup, I don't know if they're going to be anybody else in the building, if possible can you do an infer-red scan and see how many people are in the building." Jack took the first left and a right immediately became visible. "Which way now Tony?"

"Two rights and it's the second warehouse on the left. Chloe," he shouted away from the phone, "Get tactical to Michelle's location and tell them Jack will meet them there, Adam I need you to do infer-red scan." Jack sped up.

"Tony how long till Tactile will get there?"

"Their E.T.A is 30 minutes." Jack considered his options.

"I don't have that much time Tony. They're probably just going to dump the car and get in another one otherwise they wouldn't have risked exposing themselves."

"Jack that's suicide, you don't even know how many men are in there."

"Get me that infer-red picture then!"

"I'm sending it now to your palmer." Jack pulled up just before turning the last right and looked at the scan. There were around 25 men in there, and Jack knew they'd have guns. Looking at the Satellite photos he saw that one of the men was stationed on the roof and the road was really just a driveway to other warehouses. Jack guessed they'd chosen this position because it would easy to defend and hard to leave, not just as a dumbing ground unless they had a way out that wasn't visible.

"Tony I'm going to have to wait for the Tactical team to arrive, I need to schematics to know all possible exit and entry points."

"The Tactical team have them you'll see them when you arrive, they should be there within 25 minuets." There was a pause, Jack knew that Tony wanted to say something but didn't know how to.

"What is it Tony?"

"If you can't get Michelle, or for whatever reason she and Christof escape…."

"Tony it will not come to that!"

"If it does" Tony carried on as if not hearing what Jack said, "I think I should hand myself over to Christof…"

"No Tony, it won't come to that."

"I'm just saying th.."

"Don't say anything!" And with that Jack hung up the phone, stepping out the car to enjoy a few brief minuets of the sun before the Tactical team arrived.

-----

Michelle looked around, her head spinning from the way things had changed so much in such a small amount of time. She was gagged and handcuffed to a bed in what had once been an office in the warehouse. So far she'd only seen three men but she guessed there were more, when she'd first been bundled into the car she'd tried counting the number of turns, as she'd been blindfolded, but she'd lost count. Now she sat in the office which seemed to have been converted into a bedroom of sorts. She glanced down the room, there was a table, chair and the bed she'd been chained to but otherwise no other furniture. There were documents on the table but she couldn't see anything else to tell her whose bedroom this was. She listened to see if she could hear anything. Michelle was close to being consumed by fear the only thing that kept it at bay was the thought of Tony. When she got out anything useful she heard could help her, she didn't let the word if perade her thoughts, she was just to close to sucumming fear to let it. Closing her eyes she tried pulling on her cuffs but the neither bed nor cuffs gave at all, her head still hurt from the blow she'd received from Sean when she'd tried to call for help. Suddenly the door opened, Michelle eyes flew open, standing in the door frame stood Sean.

"What's going on Sean?"

"Don't call me that god forsaken name." He snapped in a thick Russian accent. He pulled out the chair and sat on it. He said nothing and just stared at her.

"What should I call you?" Michelle said not liking the silence or the way he stared so intently at her.

"Christof"

"Why are you doing this then Christof?"

"Because Yusef wills it so." There was a silence before he continued, "We knew that you used to work at CTU and you left because you had no heart for the job since they arrested Tony. We thought that you could hack into CTU."

"Is that why you hired me?"

"Yes. But we were never going to tell you the reason why we wanted you to hack into CTU."

"Why?"

"Because although you're angry about America arresting Tony, deep down you love this country. And you would've told CTU."

"So why tell me?"

"Because my little friend told me that they had let Tony out to help with the investigation."

"You have a mole at CTU?" Michelle said in astonishment.

"Yes, they've not been in there a long time. Not that it matters to you anymore."

"Why?"

"Because you'll never see the inside of that building again. I'm going to be the only face you see until you die." He said ominously leaning in closely.

"You knew about me all along?" She asked hoping it not to be true.

"We always thought that this might happen, my friend only confirmed it. We thought it would be poetic justice to take you. Your husband nearly destroyed A.M.D. Hence almost destroying Yusef, you see Yusef had nothing but A.M.D and his pet project Freedom Fall and Tony and his two friends obliterated Freedom Fall and nearly destroyed A.M.D. We've killed both English agents and now all that's left is Tony. My source tells me that he cares very deeply for you and if we kill you he'll be nothing but a shell of a man. Yusef has always been a man of revenge."

"You don't fight for any cause just for revenge, is that what A.M.D is about?"

"Exactly. And Yusef thinks I should send a message to your beloved husband first."

Christof's words felt like ice sliding down her back. She suddenly felt like an animal caught in a trap. Christof got up and exited the office and came back a moment later with a video reorder, in that terrible second Michelle realized what was about to happen. Christof set the recorder on a stand, giving it a good view of the bed and Michelle on it. Christof pressed record and stood in front of the camera, "You betrayed our trust and because of that your wife has to suffer, shame on you Almeida." He didn't say any more and he came and stood in front of her. "Such a beautiful face, we won't scar it 'till later." He whispered in her ear,

"You don't have to do this Christof." Michelle said desperately. "Please don't," she whispered knowing full well what was about to happen to her. Christof ignored her, she tried to fight him off but with her hands handcuffed behind her to the bed she could only use her feet to protect her, but he quickly pinned them down with his own. Michelle screamed for help, but none came. Resigning to her fate, she turned her head away from the camera and tears silently ran down her face. He climaxed and pulled himself out of her, standing up and zipping himself up. "That was fun wasn't it?" He said. Michelle said nothing not daring herself to talk. "I _said, _that was fun wasn't it?" Still she said nothing; angered Christof punched her hard in the stomach. Michelle let out a cry of pain, she went into the fetal position and let a small sob escaped her. This only seemed to add fuel to his anger, he punched her once again at the side of her stomach, he punched her till his knuckles bled and then turning to the camera he said angrily, "Barley worth it, don't know what you see in her Almeida." With that he switched the camera off and took it outside locking the door behind him.

It wouldn't have made that much difference if he had left the door wide open and told her she could leave. She couldn't move. Her stomach felt as though it was being compressed into a tiny box, it hurt. It hurt so much and she felt dirty and stupid. If only she'd listened and tried not to play the hero. Tony wouldn't want her after he saw that tape, no-one would want her. The thought of Tony watching it finally broke her, she sobbed and cried until her she felt she had nothing left in her, finally blessed unconscious took her and she fell into a fitfal sleep.

Outside the office Christof smiled, that was just what he needed to finish his little video off, Michelle crying. It was sure to bring Tony here and that was just what Yusef wanted.

"You disgust me," said a man coming up behind him. Christof turned, when America was on it's knees after the bombings he could finally kill him, and if he didn't he knew that he would be killed instead.

"I only did was I was told. And do not talk to me as if I'm the only one who hurt her. You helped me bring her here, you told me Yusef said I was to make her suffer."

"He said rape her and record it, not beat the woman to death! I warn you if she dies from internal inj…"

"She won't, now do our job, take this recording have it put on a DVD and have it sent to Almeida." Christof handed the recording into the mans hands and watched him leave underground.

Christof turned to stare at Michelle once more, just as he was about to consider going back in there and playing with her once more he heard the sound of rifle fire. Christof quickly grabbed his semi-automatic leaning at the office door and ran to where he heard the fire. He saw movement at the top gangways. Rushing to the shadows he studied how many men there were. They hadn't seen him but he knew it was only a matter of time. They were coming from the roof so that must mean that the man on roof was dead or captured. He was about to risk sprinting to the other side where the other men were stationed when one of the men from the other side threw down tear gas and a smoke grenade. Christof took his chance and sprinted fast and low, covering his nose and mouth with his shirt. He glanced up, the men were becoming more bold, they obviously thought there was going to be no resistance, Christof got two in his sights and pressed the trigger, they died instantly. Turning quickly to the side he dashed into the door where the men off duty were supposed to be stationed. No-one was there, swearing he went back outside to the main warehouse, briefly looking around he decided to hide behind some crates. It gave him a clear shot to any man coming down and gave him some cover. Using the last of the settling smoke to dash across and hide he settled down. There were burst of more gunfire from higher up but finally it stopped. Christof guessed that the last of his men had been beaten. The armed men started to some down the steps that came from the higher gangways, six came down altogether. Christof carefully got them in his range and was about to pull the trigger when a single shot fired and Christof felt a jab in his right arm, looking down he saw that he'd been shot and it was only when he saw the blood that he felt the pain. Christof tried to identify his shooter and looked up to see a man holding a gun, unknown to him the man was none other than Jack Bauer.

"We have you surrounded, I do not want to shoot you but I will if I have to. Put your gun down and nudge it with your foot towards my men. Then come up with your hands behind your head." Jack shouted from above never moving his gun sight from Christof. Christof thought of fighting for a second only to realize how useless it would be. Complying to Jack's demands he came out from behind the crates, Jack was on the floor by now, a man came and handcuffed Christof and Jack told him to have him immediately taken to CTU for questioning. Christof could only hope that his present for Tony had gotten away with the man and he hoped to see the Tony's reaction.

"Sir," Jack looked around to see a man calling from him from inside an old unused office. "Sir, you better have a look at this." Jack walked over. Jack saw Michelle immediately on the bed.

"She's just coming round Sir" He said. Michelle moaned, she tried stretching her legs but the pain in her side was just to much, she cried out in pain.

"Michelle," Jack said rushing to her side. "Get me a medic." He shouted at the man. Turning back to Michelle he said, "It's ok, we've got you. You're safe." Michelle looked around her not knowing what was going on for a second, suddenly the events of today flooded back to her. "Jack," she barley held back tears, tears of both relief and pain. Suddenly her vision darkened again and the pain disappeared along with the rest of the world.

-------

Jack watched Michelle be placed on a stretcher and putting the ambulance. His phone rang and Jack answered already knowing who would be on the other line.

"Jack is she alright?" Tony asked worriedly.

"She's fine they just bundled her into an ambulance" he said reassuringly, not wanting to worry Tony.

"Why's she in an ambulance?"

"They wanted to do a check-up."

"Can I call her?"  
"I wouldn't do that." Jack sad trying to some up with an excuse quickly, "She's lost her phone and you'd have to go through the ambulance to speak to her, I'm sure once they've finished checking her out she'll phone you." Jack said hoping it would satisfy Tony for the moment. He may have spoken reassurances to Tony but he was far from reassured himself. Michelle hadn't come round after she'd spoken his name and Jack had seen the look on the medics face as he'd lifted her shirt to see the huge rainbow colored bruise blossoming on the side of her stomach. He'd call the medics later and see what their diagnosis was. If it was as bad as he thought it was he'd tell Tony in person, it was the decent thing to do.

"You're probably right. God I'm just glad she's ok. Christof is being brought back here as we speak. Do you want someone to start interrogating him or do you want us to wait until you get here?"

"Wait. I'll be there in 15 minuets." Jack hung up and headed towards his car his head filled with worries for Michelle. As he climbed in he did something he hadn't done in a while, he sent a quick plea to who ever was in the sky, _please let Michelle be alright, Tony and Michelle have been through enough already_.


	5. 4

**Very important must read **

**Thanks to all of you that reviewed and from no on I wont blackmail chapters for reviews cause some said it was mean which it is kinda but I would love for you all to continue because I really love them, at first this was just one long chapter but I thought it would be easier to read in 3 chapters so enjoy and please continue to review because it's really nice to get them as any other writer would know **

Terry looked around nervously in the crowded Shopping Mall. He kept his eyes open for a man in a denim jacket with a yellow cap on. Terry didn't know how much more of this he could take. Nowadays he jumped at every shadow and every-time someone spoke to him, he was always waiting for someone to catch him, for them to all start pointing guns at him and torture him for information like he'd seen them do with other terrorists he seen them do. He'd worked in CTU for a while now and every day he went in not knowing if it was going to be his last day as a free man.

"Terry Lankfen," said a voice behind him. Terry nearly jumped three feet in the air. "Don't be so jumpy, you'll give yourself away." Terry turned to stare at the man behind him. The man came and sat down opposite him.

"You aren't the usual man that comes," Terry said suspicious.

"I know, he was doing something more important."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I nee you to get this delivered to Almeida."

"I can't do that!" Terry said indignantly.

"Why not?"

"Because there's no way that I can have it on his desk without him realizing it."

"Well you better find a way."

"What's on it anyway?"

"Do nt concern yourself with matters that have nothing to do with you." He barked

"I don't know if you knew but they got Christof. They're bringing him in now!"

Alarm suddenly flitted across the mans face.

"This changes everything." He whispered to himself.

"Do you still want me to deliver the DVD?" The man was silent as he considered Terry's question.

"Has Michelle been rescued?"

"Yes."

Suddenly an evil plan formed in his mind. He hated Christof, and now this was his chance to destroy him for good. When Tony or Jack saw this they would want Christof's blood. They would make his life hell. He smiled.

"There is a change I want this sent to a Jack Bauer as well." Terry nodded.

"Is this going to be my final job, because I there is a large chance that I'm going to expose myself."

"Yes, this is your last job. Then leave the country."

"That makes it easier." The man got up and left leaving Terry to finalise the details.

--------

Jack walked through the doors leading into CTU. He headed straight through to his office. A soon as he entered Chloe entered looking flustered.

"Jack, NHS just called he said that you wanted an update on Michelle as soon as possible. I thought she was fine."

"She is, but I just to be sure."

"Jack your lying, I've done this job long enough to know when you are or aren't. What's happened."

"We found Michelle beaten, I don't know the extent of her injuries all I know id that it's bad." Chloe gasped and sat down, obviously in shock.

"Jack, you have to tell Tony."

"No yet."

"Jack! Michelle's been beaten up badly and Tony thinks she's fine!"

"He'll work better thinking she's safe."

"Jack, he shouldn't even be here! Tell him and let him go to his wife, he's not even supposed to be here. Jack, he's done what he's supposed to do just let him go to his wife before they move him o his new prison." Chloe said. Part of Jack knew she was right, but the other part still selfishly wanted Tony here because it reminded him of the past were everything seemed better. Now he was alone, no wife or daughter nothing apart from his job, then he'd had both.

"Chloe, we need all the Intel we can get, and Tony was, IS, one of the best. He's a resource and I can't let him go. Go down and tell him that he's gunna help in interrogating Christof."

-------

Terry looked up at the office and saw Chloe talking to Jack upstairs. Looking quickly he saw that Tony was still typing on his computer and Terry glanced at the cameras, typing in a few strokes he set the camera on re-run, he had about 5 minuets before someone noticed. Getting up he walked over to Tony's station.

"Hey Tony, Adam wants you to re-boot the system."

"What!" Tony said looking up. "That's a newbie's job."

"I think he just wants to show you whose boss. I mean look at it from his point of view, you get arrested and he gets promoted, this means he gets some of the access you got, and then you turn up and everything he does everyone's asking has he cleared it with Tony."

"There asking that?"

"Yeh, according to people who were here when you were director, you were really good at it, and supposedly great at Tactical. I now Adams being anal but just let it be, I think he's just a bit pissed." Tony smiled.

"Suppose your right." Getting up Tony crossed the floor and headed out. Terry was quick on his computer. Installing the DVD on Tony's computer he then attached it to an email before sending it to Jack. He knew that Jack would find it, watch it and then try and trace it. When he found out that it came from Tony's computer he'd realise that there was a mole. And he'd try and stop Tony from seeing it but he knew that somehow Tony would see it. When he finished he went back to his computer. He looked at the camera's, they were still on re-run. Putting them off re-run he logged of and got ready to leave for good.

"Terry I need to find Tony, Have you seen him?" Chloe said coming down the steps having just finished her meeting with Jack

"No, I'll go look for him. Do you want me to tell him anything?"

"Yeh, Jack wants to interrogate Yusef with him."

"Ok, if I see him I'll tell him." Terry got up and started to walk away, five minuets later he was in the car and heading home to get something's before leaving the country forever.

-------

Michelle opened her eyes to see a ceiling that she'd never seen before. She looked around confused, then she remembered. Christof raping her and filming it. She tried moving but the pain was almost instantaneous, she groaned and decided to just look around. There was a IVF tube that went into her arm and she knew that she'd been changed into a hospital gown.

"Ms Dessler." Michelle saw a nurse come through the door. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've just been punched in the stomach." She said dryly.

"We've given you something for the pain. Unless there's anything else I've got a small round to make but I'll be back in a minute." Michelle was about to let her leave when she remembered Christof.

"Actually nurse. There is something." The nurse stopped. "I need an STI check-up and the morning pill." The nurse nodded understanding.

"I'll get the doctor right away."

"I also need a phone, I have to phone my husband." The nurse nodded, disappeared and reappeared a second later with a phone. "Thank you."

"It's ok, I'll just get the doctor." She left and Michelle called CTU.

"CTU, Bauer speaking."

"Jack it's Michelle."

"How are you?" anxiety in his voice.

"Ok, considering I suppose, I haven't seen the doctor yet. Jack, Christof was talking to me before…. Anyway he went on about knowing everything going on in CTU. You have a mole! According to Christof he hasn't been there long…"

"Are you sure about this Michelle?"

"Yes."  
"Shit!"

"Jack, Christof isn't going to break easily I woul…"

"Michelle that isn't your concern. Tony's going to help me interrogate Christof and I'll have Chloe and Adam working on finding our Mole. Michelle you just concentrate on getting better."

"Jack I can't sit by and do nothing! I have to do something, they've given me something for the pain and if there's nothing else I'm coming back to CTU."

"Michelle…" Suddenly Jack was distracted s he got an email, "Michelle hold on a second." Jack looked at it, there was an attachment and it was headed, for Jack's eyes only. He immediately got suspicious.

"Jack I've got to go the doctors come back in." She hung up the phone but Jack was only half listening. The email had been sent by Cassandra. But she was away. The person sitting at her desk was Tony. Looking through the glass he saw that Tony was away. Jack scanned it for viruses but found none. Opening it he saw that's it only said, _open the attachment, _once again he scanned the attachment for any viruses. He found none. Carefully he opened the attachment. It was a video recording of some sort.

He watched Christof rape Michelle, saw her cry for help but no-one came, and then when she didn't answer him afterwards he saw him beat her with his fist's and then he saw Michelle cry. He came close to tears himself. He's just spoken to her and she'd said nothing. Christof would pay for every single punch with interest he swore to himself. He was about to storm down to the interrogation room there and then. But slowly he calmed himself, there would be time for retribution later.

This must have come from this mole but the email had been sent from Tony's computer. Tony! Jack had to sort this out without Tony knowing. If Tony found out he'd kill Christof and even Jack wouldn't be able to stop him. He rang Chloe's phone.

"What is it Jack?"

"Get up here now we have a situation." Chloe ran up the steps.

"What the hell's happened?"

"We have a mole I'm not sure who but I was sent some disturbing footage from Cassandra's computer by email. I need you to go there and find out who sent it and not under any circumstances is Tony to see it. Is that understood?"

"We have a mole are you sure?"

"Yes. Christof told Michelle before he…."

"Before he what Jack?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Jack I can't help you if you don't tell me anything."

"Please Chloe just do it."

"Fine, I'll check the CCTV and see what happened. When did you get this?"

"It was sent around 5 minuets ago."

"I could do it here if you wanted." Jack stood up and let Chloe sit in his chair. She tapped away on the computer for a moment, "Jack this doesn't make sense, whoever the mole is had to have put this camera on a loop because Tony supposed to be sitting at his desk the entire time and the email was sent from his computer, but he's also supposed to be in the Log room."

"Chloe I need you to go to Tony and keep him distracted,"

"Why?"

"Because I'm going into his computer to remove it."

"What's it?"

"It doesn't matter, can you just do this Chloe."

"No, not until you start explaining to me what the hells going on!"

"Fine! I just received an email with an attachment. The attachment was a video recording of Christof raping and beating Michelle. He obviously thought that he wouldn't get caught otherwise he wouldn't have sent it. If Tony finds it….well we just can't let that happen." Chloe said nothing once again silenced by shock.

"Er…I'll find out who erm..er..no I'll….Tony, I'll get Tony and distract him."

"Chloe," Jack said putting his hand on her shoulder as she turned to leave, "I know that this is hard for you but it's nothing to what Michelle feels and what Tony will feel if he finds out. It's not up to us to weather he finds out that's up to Michelle. So we have to make sure that Tony doesn't find out from us." Chloe nodded and left. Jack followed a few seconds later.

Jack found the recording easily, it removed it and took the disk, he quickly fitted the DVD into it cased and into his pocket.

Chloe went into the log room, she had to keep him distracted for a few minuets, that was all.

"Hey Tony, what are you doing?"

"Adam wanted me to re-boot the system." He said not looking up, "Almost finished."

"Isn't that a Rookie's job?"

"Yeh but according to the new IT guy Terry, Adams just being anal, something about asserting his authority."

"Terry told you to do this?"

"Yeh, is something wrong?" Tony said finally looking up.

"No," She paused thinking quickly, "Well actually there is, it's about Jack."

"What is it this time?"

"Well.. I don't know if he kicked the habit."

"What do you mean?"

"Well he goes through moods and everything, if he was a woman I'd blame it on menopause" Tony laughed at the image he got in his head.

"Look, according to Michelle, he went into rehab, he seems fine. I'm afraid that it's just normal Jack."

"Have you spoken to Michelle yet?"

"No, after this I was going to call the hospital and see if I could go see her. What are you doing in here anyway?"

"Oh, I was told to look for you because Jack wants your help on interrogating Christof."

"You know why?"

"No, does anyone know how Jack works?"

"Point taken, look let me finish up here and then I'll be right there."

"It's Ok, I can do it. Just show me how far you've done already." Chloe hoped that she's taken long enough.

"I've done almost everything I've just got to empty it. I'm ok, tell Jack I'll be there in a second." Chloe was thinking hard, "Shit someone just stuck something else in deletion, it's a recording." The colour from Chloe's face drained. He was re-booting the system. He had to get rid of everything in the deletion box. And that meant he had to get rid of the recording.

Tony looked at it curious to see what was on it, slowly he double clicked it, Chloe turned and started to walk out the room, she had to warn Jack. "I'll go tell Jack then." She said, she got no reply from Tony. As soon as she stepped outside she ran to find Jack.

Tony looked carefully at the recording, all he could see was a man standing there, he said something but Tony couldn't hear so he turned the volume up and started the recording from the beginning, still the picture was fuzzy so he digitalised it. As soon as had the face became recognisable.

"Christof," he whispered in surprise. What the hell was this doing in deletion.

_"You betrayed our trust and because of that your wife has to suffer, shame on you Almeida_" Said Christof from the recording. Tony saw the person lying on the bed behind him, it was Michelle. "No." Tony said knowing what would happen. He fought back tears as he defiled her and she cried for help and no-one came. He watched in horror as Christof beat her, it turned to anger as he spoke to the camera,_ "Barley worth it, don't know what you see in her Almeida_." The camera changed and focused on Michelle, she was crying. Tony wanted nothing more than to hold her as she cried, whisper into her ear that everything was alright, that she was going to be fine. The recording finished, and soon his thoughts turned to revenge, he wanted Christof's blood on his hands. Tony stormed out, heading for the interrogation room.

-----

Jack logged off the computer and headed towards the interrogation room to start interrogating Christof when Chloe ran towards him.

"He was re-booting the system, Terry told him to."

"What? I don't understand you Chloe."

"Did you ever re-boot the system?"

"Yeh, when I was a rookie," Jack went silent as he understood what she meant

"He saw the recording?" Chloe nodded. "Shit!" Jack said running towards the interrogation room, Chloe ran with him telling her other bit of news.

"Jack, it's Terry."

"What's Terry?"

"Terry's the mole!" Jack came to a halt as he digested what Chloe had said

"How do you know this?"

"Well, I'm not 100% sure yet but it all make sense, he's access to all the security and camera's and he was the one told Tony to go and re-boot the system saying it came from Adam, I just asked Adam, he said no such thing to Terry."

"Where's Terry now?"

"I've got security searching the building, but I think he's already left."

"Send someone over to his house."

"Already happening and Adam's sending out a message to all airports and shipping ports, also I'm just about to start and see if there are any large deposits made to him in any of his accounts."

"Good."

"Someone should warn Michelle."

"Why?"

"Because she probably wanted to hide it from Tony."

"I'll call her." Chloe picked up the phone and dialled the county general hospital as Jack rushed towards the interrogation room.

"Hello, L.A General County."

"Hi, you have a patient called Michelle Dessler. I need to speak to her it's urgent."

"Hold please." The next voice she heard was Michelle.

"Dessler"

"It's Chloe. Jack thought I should give you a heads up, Tony saw it, I'm so sorry Michelle."

"What?! I have to talk to him!"

"I don't know where he is."

"Well find him then Chloe!" She shouted down the phone. "No wait, I'll come down there."

"What? NO! Michelle if what Jack said happened, you're in no shape to. I'll find him and get him to go to you."

"Shut-up Chloe, I can't just sit around her all day, The doctors going to give me my results in a few minuets then I'll leave and come there. I need to speak to Tony and I want to see that son of a bitch in pain,"

"Sam was working on him before the interrogation started."

"Sam, who is he?"

"The other guy left after the Nina Myers incident."

"Sam is CTU's new torturer?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'll be there in about an hour." She hung up the phone, Chloe started after Jack, he needed to know this.

---------

Tony walked into the interrogation room. A man stood over him, injecting him in the neck with poisons yet still Christof smiled as he came in the room.

"Mr Almeida your reputation precedes you." He said smiling; it reminded Tony of a snake.

"Shall I go Sir?" The man said. Tony didn't recognise him.

"Yeh wait outside, I'll call you if I need you." The man left.

"What would you know of my reputation?" Tony said scrunching up his fists getting ready to punch him.

"That you greatly hurt Yusef Ali. That was all I was ever told."

"You ever met Yusef?"

"No, since you nearly destroyed him only his closest followers ever see them, all my orders were directed from them. He has become quite a paranoid man. I never even spoke to him on the phone. But let us change the subject. Have you seen the movie I'm preparing to air at the Cannes Film Festival?" Tony said nothing.

"Well, let me describe it to you…." Tony lost it and lunged at Christof punching him squarely on the nose, at that moment Jack burst through the door followed closely by a guard. Both wrestled Tony against the wall.

"Tony, clam down…" Jack said, fighting to control him.

"How can I?! You've no idea what he did to Michelle!"

"Tony I did, I tried to stop you from finding out because I knew you'd be like this. Tony if I have to I will have you put back in holding." Tony stopped fighting and Jack loosened his grip on Tony.

"I don't know how anyone can stand that excuse of a woman, she was no good." Christof said spitting out blood. Jack subconsciously loosened his grip on Tony. He lunged again but instead of punching he grabbed Christof's fingers that were still handcuffed to the chair and broke them in one quick snap. Christof face contorted in pain, Jack quickly got hold of Tony again, bringing him out of the room.

"Tony, if you can't control yourself I will have you taken into holding again. Look I'll have Eddy escort you to the hospital Michelle's at. Go comfort her."

"Jack," Both men looked up as Chloe came down the corridor.

"What?"

"Err.." Chloe didn't know if she should talk in front of Tony.

"Chloe what is it?" Tony said.

"Jack can I talk to you a minute."

"Chloe just tell me." She took a deep breath.

"I called Michelle, she's coming back here."

"WHAT?!" Both men said in unison.

"I tried to persuade her otherwise but she was insistent." Chloe said in her defence. Jack didn't know what to do. He was about to say something when Adam came down the corridor.

"Jack, there's a boy out front called Cameron saying that you wanted him here."

Jack swore, he'd completely forgotten about Cameron.

"Stick him in a interrogation room, I'll come to talk to him in a minute." Adam nodded in understanding and walked off. "Chloe…." He didn't know what to say.

"There's nothing we can do she's not taking any calls and by the time we got there she would most likely have left. We're just going to have to wait for her to arrive." Tony said. "Jack let me go back in there and talk to Christof. He told me that no-one has spoken to Yusef since before I went undercover." Jack looked at him sceptically. "Jack you'll be monitoring it the whole time,"

"No"

"Come on Jack!"

"I am going to be in there as well."

"Jack he won.."

"You have no say in this matter Tony. As soon as Michelle arrives just go to her and talk to her, I'll deal with this, this isn't your job any more Tony." He turned and went back into the interrogation room, Tony followed him. As they entered the room Christof looked up, pain obvious on his face.

"You want something for the relief Christof?" Jack said, "All you have to do is tell us everything you know."

"No, he's not getting anything for the pain relief, he'll tell us everything we want to know anyway." Tony said no emotion in his voice.

"And why would I want to do that Almeida?"

"Because if you don't this man is going to walk out that door and leave me alone with you for as long as I want."

"Michelle was my friend as well Christof." Jack said.

For the first time since he was a young boy and his village was attacked Christof felt fear in his stomach and he didn't like it.

There was a silence as neither agents spoke and only Christof's laboured breathing could be heard.

"I want a pardon in return for all the information I'm going to give you."

"No" Tony said immediately. Jack wasn't so quick to make his decision, he didn't want to give it both knew that the clock was against them and although al the other CTU branches had brought in all the branch bosses of CTU he knew that they wouldn't break in time because they were dedicated in what they were doing. Only Christof was the weak chain, he'd joined A.M.D later so he owed less allegiance to Yusef. This was probably the biggest breakthrough they were going to get even though he didn't like it.

"Tony outside" Both men stepped outside. "He's not going to break and we're running out of time, I don't think we have a choice."

"Jack you can't be serious!"

"Tony I know your upset but we don't have another choice."

"Send Sam back in there!"

"Tony, if we pump him full of anymore of those Toxins he'll die!" Tony scowled but said nothing. "Look, go talk to a guy names Cameron, he was there when Michelle was kidnapped, question him and see if he knows anything else."

"Jack I ca.."

"Just do it Tony." Jack stormed back into the interrogation room and Tony headed off to talk to Adam to see where he had placed Cameron

--------------

Michelle walked into CTU, the doctor had tried to stop her after he'd given her results but she'd been insistent on wanting to go to CTU and see Tony. She felt she couldn't just stay there and do nothing, she had to keep herself busy so she could forget. As soon as she entered the floor Chloe came towards her, the guards must have phoned ahead Michelle thought.

"Michelle…" Chloe said, obviously nervous and not knowing what to say.

"Chloe where's my husband?"

"He was interrogating Christof but then Jack told him to talk to Cameron."

"Who's Cameron?"

"He was the boy that Christof gave your bug to," Michelle remembered a boy but only briefly, everything seemed such a blur. "I'll tell Tony you're here, there is a conference room that you can go to talk," She started to show Michelle where it was.

"Chloe I used to work here, I know where everything is." She said tiredly, wanting nothing more than to sit down. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come here Michelle thought. Her side ached and the pain killers were starting to wear off. She landed heavily in a chair waiting for Tony to walk in, she knew that he was going to tell her that she shouldn't have come and Michelle knew he was right, there was almost nothing she could do here but she couldn't stay at the hospital, she hated the nurses and doctor all looking at her sympathetically as if she were some weak person. She just needed to be held by her husband and forget. She didn't want to help with the investigation any more, it wasn't her problem anymore. Both she and her husband had done enough. Michelle closed her eyes but memories of Christof immediately filled her vision, she snapped her eyes open and a small sob escaped her.

-----

"So let me get this straight, this man didn't give his name spoke the entire time as if someone was watching him and wrote all his instructions down on paper and handed you a box and was obviously keeping a woman against her will and you didn't think it was suspicious." Tony said disbelief. The boy who was obviously uncomfortable just nodded. Tony almost wanted to shout at the boy. He couldn't believe someone could be so stupid.

"Tony," Tony turned to see Chloe was standing in the doorway "Michelle's here. Do you want me to finish up here?" Tony nodded and stepped outside. "She's in the conference room; no-one will interrupt you." Tony said thanks and headed straight there.

He opened the door and saw Michelle sitting in a chair on the far side of the room. He closed the door behind him and lent against it, not knowing if she wanted him near her or not, he'd been around rape victims before, every person reacted differently, some continued as if nothing had happened while other people's lives were nearly destroyed by it, and it terrified him to think that he didn't know how his own wife would react.

Michelle kept her face neutral as Tony walked in, she didn't want to cry but she was so close to losing all her self control. He didn't step any closer when he closed the door and her first thoughts was how had he reacted when he'd seen the tape, was he angry? At that point she finally lost her self control and let out a small sob, as soon as Tony saw he walked straight to Michelle.

"It's Ok, hush, I'm here." He said embracing her. He held her close as the tears she'd long fought spilled over. "It's over he's never going to hurt you again, I promise" he whispered in her ear trying to comfort her.

"I..I thought.." words failed her as she tried to put her thoughts into words. She started to compose herself, "Have you seen the….the recording?" she asked, he nodded, "I'm so sorry Tony."

"Hey there's nothing to be sorry about, you did nothing wrong." He said, "We've got Christof and he's going to be locked away for a really long time."

"I thought that you'd think that I was…." Tony interrupted her,

"Beautiful, fantastic?" Michelle smiled, this was why she loved Tony so much, the way he could say something and make her feel so special. "It's no-ones fault but that Russian bastards fault, and he's going to pay for it."

"You hit him?"

"Yes"

"Good," she said resting her head on him. They stayed like that for a few seconds. Tony idly stroked her hair as she said nothing just feeling safe and warm in his embrace. His strokes slowly became longer till the briefly touched her side, Michelle couldn't help but give an involuntary gasp, he looked at her worried but she couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Chelle?"

"It's nothing Tony," she tried desperately to stop him but his hands slowly slid under her blouse and lifted it to show that two large multicoloured bruises that appeared on her front and side.

"I'll kill him," Tony growled. The bruises only reminded Tony of the punches, in the last few brief moments he'd forgotten just how badly he'd hurt her.

"No Tony." She said finally looking up at him, her eyes were pleading and Tony felt his anger slowly vanish. "Please I just want to forget everything." Tony nodded, there was nothing he could do to Christof anymore, anyway he was with Jack and Tony knew that Jack would do anything to get Christof to talk.

"You bring anything with you?"

"No, only the clothes I'm wearing."

"Come one lets go" He said standing up and gently pulled Michelle up to follow him.

"Where and how?"

"I want to see my new house and I'm sure Jack can get some guy to escort me, I'll even wear a tracer if it means I get to spend some time alone away from here. I just want to talk to you get you settled in…." Michelle smiled and allowed herself to be pulled up, he kissed her gently on the lips, "I just want to make sure your safe." He said quietly. Both stepped outside they were just about to go and talk to Chloe when Michelle saw Jack coming towards them.

"Are you alright Michelle?" He said, his concern seemed genuine.

"As well as can be expected, how did you know?"

"It was sent to me first." Jack was about to continue when Adams shouted across;

"The team sent to Terry's house just picked him up, there ETA is just 5 minuets."

"Whose Terry?" Tony asked.

"It turns out we had an insider all along.."

"A mole!" Tony said astonished. Jack looked uncomfortable, he felt responsible for Michelle, he should have known that Terry was a mole, if he had then maybe he could have stopped what had happened to Michelle, maybe he should never have put her in harms way and pulled her out sooner, been more insistent that they pull her out sooner, maybe she wouldn't have been raped. His mind swirled with what ifs. As if sensing what he thought she gently touched his arm.

"No-one knew, it's my own fault because I risked it, no-one else's. But we've got him now, that's all that matter" Michelle said gently. Jack suddenly felt very uncomfortable, he shifted from foot to foot just slightly but both Tony and Michelle immediately recognised it because they'd known him so long.

"What aren't you telling us Jack?" Tony said warning in his voice.

"I think you should come into the Conference room," They two of them followed Jack, he sat down I one of the chairs and the other two sat on the other side together. "We don't have any choice, Christof will only tell us what he knows if he's given a presidential pardon and a ticket to Moscow, unless we have a major breakthrough soon we'll have no choice but to grant it to him."

"What?" Michelle said panicked. She felt herself losing control again, she stopped and tried to calm herself taking deep breaths she continued, "He's just going to walk free after what he did to me. What he's done to countless other people?" Tony took her hand to try and comfort her but it failed. It was to much for Michelle she wanted this man dead because of what he'd done to her not walking free so he could do it to someone else!

"Has the president agreed?" Tony asked.

"He's phoning back in a few minutes with his decision." Jack said looking down at the floor guiltily.

"So my husband goes back to jail after this because the presidents worried about his image but he's more than happy to release a psychopathic rapist back into the world," She said with bitterness, resentment and anger seeping into her voice.

"Michelle if there was any other way I would but he is impervious to torture and we don't know enough about him to know which buttons to push to get him to talk." Jack was about to say more when his phone rang "Excuse me," He said getting up and going outside.

"How can they do this Tony?" Michelle said, Tony's heart nearly broke with the look of utter hopelessness on her face, it was the same look he'd seen fleetingly on her face when his sentence had been announced.

"Hey," he said gently stroking her face, "It'll be alright."

"How Tony? How the fuck is it alright, you're going back to prison and I don't think I'm ever going to have a good nights sleep again, even less now because he's going to be out there and I know I'll be jumping at every shadow till you get out. Hell, even after you get out. I feel so….so…" words failed her as she tried hopelessly to put the emotion into words. Tears threatened to spill but she held them back, she would not cry in front of Tony again.

"He will never ever hurt you again.." Tony said trying hard to keep himself under control. He felt so helpless, he should be there to protect her comfort her as she tried to get over this. She shouldn't have to go through this trial on her own he should be by her side but instead he was going to be in prison. He was about to say something comforting but Jack said "NO!" loud enough for both of them to hear and startle them. Adam stood talking to Jack, he cast a quick guilty glance at both Tony and Michelle before saying something quick and quiet to Jack. Tony stood up and went outside to see what they were talking about.

"…already done what he wants we will not do this!" Jack said loudly.

"Jack, he wants to talk to her and he says he'll talk to no-one else." Adam said.

"What's going on?" Tony said. Jack said nothing but Adam immediately jumped in to explain.

"Maybe you can make Jack understand, I was supposed to see if Christof would give me any more information when he said he wanted to add something else to his list of demands."

"What was it?" Tony asked.

"He says he'll only deal with Michelle, he knows she's here. I don't see what the big problem is all he seems to want to do is talk to his co-worker, explain something, maybe he trusts her more because she worked for him. But Jack's completely against it and I can't understand why." He continued.

"He doesn't know Tony." Jack said.

"I don't know what?" Adam asked.

"Nothing, you don't know anything, and you don't need to know anything," Michelle said startling the three men. "I'll talk to him." She said ignoring the look from both Tony and Jack's eyes.

"Excuse us for a minute Adam" Tony said heading back into the conference room, Jack followed.

"Is he being given the pardon?" Michelle asked.

"The president feels he has no other choice but to comply." Jack said, Michelle looked down and Tony thought for a second that she was going to break down there and then but when she looked up he saw a look of utter determination, "You don't have to do this." Jack said quietly.

"I do. The Presidents right, we have no choice but to comply with his demands, and I need to do this. I need to see him broken otherwise……" she never finished her sentence. Jack nodded, Tony was about to complain when Jack shot him a withering look, Tony thought better of it and closed his mouth before he could complain.

"Christof's being held in the second interrogation room go and Adam will fix you up and prep you we'll follow in a minute." Michelle left but not before sending a quick glance in Tony's direction. As soon as she left Jack turned to Tony, "Tony right now your wife is going in to talk to her rapist, he thinks he'll get the upper hand by doing this and in some ways he will. He's going to manipulate her and de-grade her. That's why she needs both of our support, especially yours because you're her husband. If she doesn't face him know she'll always remember him as the man that raped her she'll always have those images, if she sees him now all she'll see is a broken man and she'll sleep better because of it." Tony as quiet as he digested everything he said. It made sense. "Tony, she needs you right now," Jack said putting his hand on Tony's shoulder. "We'll be the only ones in the other room so what happened to Michelle doesn't spread round the entire of CTU." Tony nodded and headed towards the interrogation room.

Jack and Tony slid into to small part joined to the interrogation room, Adam was in there.

"Adam can you go and see if there's been any breakthrough's with the other CTU agencies." Jack said.

"But Michelle's just about to sta.."

"Just do it Adam! Tony and I will watch it." Adam grumbled but left.

"We're ready Michelle, go in." Jack said while Tony finished adjusting his head set. The door to the interrogation room didn't open.

"Michelle?" Jack said questionably. The door to there little room joining to the interrogation room opened and Michelle stepped in.

"I can't do it." She said quietly, head hung in shame. Jack looked at Tony, the glance said everything _persuade her _Tony looked away. Pretending Jack wasn't there he stood up and embraced her whispering in her ear.

"Yes you can. You need to go in there so beat him, to see him broken otherwise all you'll remember is him when he's strong, go in there see him broken and I promise you'll feel better, he can't harm you now." He kissed her on the forehead and the gently on the lips, after a second he pulled away. Michelle stood there, then gathered her strength and went out, the door to the interrogation room opened and she stepped in.


	6. 5

"Ah, Michelle, how are you feeling? Pumped full of painkillers after that rough sex we had." Christof said. Michelle paused and cast a glance at the mirror. "Who's in there Michelle? Your traitorous husband perhaps or could it be the homicidal manic Jack Bauer, or is it both?" Still Michelle said nothing.

"Don't let him intimidate you Michelle. Don't look towards us it makes you come across as weak, be strong otherwise you'll be putty in his hands." Jack said. Tony cast a glance at Christof's vitals, his heart rate had spiked up a little bit, just enough to show that he was enjoying this.

"Jack, she can't do this. Look at her."

"Have more faith in her Tony." Jack said, but Tony could sense that Jack was feeling the same, this was a mistake.

"I hoped that you'd be more interesting to talk too, but bad at sex bad at talking, you two deserve each other, one weak and the other a traitor."

"You raped me." Michelle said never looking up at Christof from her notes. "You raped me because if you tried any other means I'd have turned you down. You see, I'm too good for you."

"Well aren't we modest." Christof said, Tony checked his vital signs his heart rate showed that he wasn't enjoying this as much as he was before.

"No I'm just being truthful. All women are too good for you that's why you have to resort to rape because otherwise you can't get laid." She continued matter-of-factly.

"That was below the belt Michelle, but do continue." Jack said encouraging Michelle, Tony couldn't help but smile with pride at his wife. "Jesus she's even scarier then when Terri was angry, she must be scary when you fight," Jack said to Tony, Michelle must have heard because Tony could swear that he saw a brief smile flit across her face

"You expected me to come in here and be afraid of you but now I'm in here I can see you for what you really are, an insignificant insecure bastard. We've brought in all the A.A.I bosses, they all match aliases and past photos. Your not important, your just one of eight men."

"They won't be willing to talk," Christof said sounding confident. Tony looked at his vitals, they were telling a different story.

"Keep pushing him Michelle," Jack said.

"No, but you've already met Sam, and all the CTU agencies have Sam's so it's only a matter of time."

"They won't break they're to fanatical,"

"They will break, they're men." She said, leaning in she continued, "And when they tell us what we need to know and you're of no use to us I'll kill you myself."

"I have a pardon and I may have information, you kill me and you'll be put in jail."

"Has the pardon arrived, is there anyone else to protect you. No. in that room," she pointed to the 1 way glass, "is my husband and no-one else. All it takes is a flick of the switch and that camera goes off, he doesn't like you very much, and with you in handcuffs and me wanting vengeance things could get very messy." She paused letting him take it in, she didn't need Jack telling her Christof was scared she knew it from looking into his eyes and she liked the power she had. "You know what," she said leaning in those final inches and lowering her voice, "I've never had a plaything before." Christof lost it.

"Jesus that guys spiking all over the place" Tony said looking at Christof's heart and pulse rate.

"He's terrified of her," Jack said in slight awe, in the last few minuets he'd seen a side of Michelle that rarely surfaced and it terrified him. He'd never seen her as weak but he'd never thought her to have this much backbone. "That's quite some wife you got there Tony."

"I know." He said to Jack, "Michelle come out and let him sweat it for a few." He said, "Jack will turn the thermostat up and then Jack can go in and question him and use you as a threat to make him talk. You can stand ominously in the corner." Michelle walked out the room and joined Tony and Jack.

"That was some performance Michelle," Jack said as she walked in.

"Thanks," she said head down, bashful.

"The guy's terrified of you, look at him." Tony said taking her hand and turning her to face Christof. Michelle looked, the man was sweating and his heart rate was beginning to calm down.

"Don't leave it too long otherwise he'll calm down he'll most likely co-operate while he's still scared. I'll go in with Jack but you can do the talking," She said.

"No, let me go in and if he doesn't co-operate then you come in." Jack said he got up and went into see Christof. Tony just stared at Michelle.

"What are you looking at?" She said, obviously embarrassed.

"You"

"Why?"

"Because you were amazing," Michelle turned to finally look at him. "I think you're spending too much time with Jack though."

"What?"

"You sounded and acted an awful lot like him."

"Don't worry, I'm not a completely heartless bitch yet." Tony smiled.

"You still scared of him?"

"No, like I said in there I've seen him for what he really is, and I know I'm gunna get through this."

Jack interrupted there moment by speaking to Christof.

"Tell me something Christof or that Pardon will disappear while it's on its way here and Michelle will somehow get in here and I will not be held responsible for her actions."

Christof's head moved from side to side, he was starting to act like an animal caught in a trap.

"Talk to me!" Jack shouted close range into his face.

"There are rumours." He said quietly. Jack went silent as he let Christof continue in his own time. "No-one has seen or spoken to Yusef since there was the sting operation in 1996. His orders are relayed always through his 8 disciples, I have never even heard his voice. There are rumours that Yusef was killed in the sting operation in 1996."

"But he was spotted in Cuba."

"The rumours say it was staged."

"But someone would have spotted him in the bodies."

"No because as I said Yusef was a very paranoid man, I know for a fact that he always wore a disguise when with people other than his disciples, even his own men. He wore the same one so everyone assumed that was what he looked like."

"So in the fight he takes of his disguise tries to escape and gets shot but because he's not wearing his disguise everyone thinks he got away and then his disciples stage a sighting and continue his plan in his name, am I close?"

"Very insightful Mr. Bauer, you deserve your reputation."

"Shut-up and continue."

"I came into the operation because some Europeans were looking into the L.A boss and I was new to A.M.D so no-one would ever suspect me. I replaced him because they didn't want to jeopardise their plans but he stayed around in he background making sure I did what I was told. He always told me of Yusef's will."

"You never met him."

"I never even saw him talking to him."

"Who is this person?" Christof was silent before replying

"If I told you that Jack what would I have to make sure you give me a pardon and a plane ride home."

"Tell me…"

"Or you'll what Jack."

"I'll send in Michelle."

"She doesn't scare me."

"You're vitals say she does. Was this man your accomplice when you kidnapped Michelle?" Christof said nothing. Jack smiled, "I'll take that as a yes." He walked out and joined Tony and Michelle. "He's not going to tell us any more until he has his pardon in writing. Michelle I need you to get Chloe and tell her that I need her to find out who was in charge before Christof worked there and then I need you to cross ref…." The door opened and Chloe came in. "What is it?"

"Terry just arrived that put him in holding one."

"Why didn't they just put him in and interrogation room?"

"Because CTU only has 2 and we've got a boy in the other!" Jack swore.

"The boy doesn't know anything useful, just let him go." Tony said.

"He can identify this other man."

"I can do that, I also saw him." Michelle said.

"Fine have Cameron released and put Terry there."

"Do you want Adams to start interrogating him and do you want Sam brought down?"

"No, I'll do the interrogation."

"Aren't you doing Christof?"

"No he won't share anything until he gets his pardon. Michelle why don't you go with Chloe and explain what Christof told us and let see if we can give this mystery assailant with a name." Michelle got up to go tell Chloe, "Tony you come with me to interrogate Terry."

"Have you come up with a match yet?" Michelle said while looking at her computer.

"No not….Oh shit!" Michelle looked up. Seeing that Chloe's gaze went behind her she turned around, Alberta Green and her little Posse were walking towards this way.

"Who's that?"

"Alberta Green, Hammond got promoted she filled his space, she's an ambitious cow that would trade her own mother in for a promotion, she back-stabbed her way into her position"

"Didn't they phone ahead?" Michelle asked in disbelief.

"No, this is the first I knew they were coming."

"Chloe I need you to keep them occupied I've got to tell Tony and Jack."

"This should be interesting," she heard Chloe mutter under her breath. Hiding a smile she was about to walk away when Alberta spotted her.

"I heard you were here but I thought I better see for myself."

"What do you want Alberta?" She was too tired to play games and now that she wasn't her superior she didn't have to worry about losing her job.

"It has come to my attention that this CTU has become a shambles."

"You've got to be kidding me," Michelle said, out of the corner of her eye she saw Chloe go to warn Jack. "If we're such a shambles how come we're the only agency that seems to be getting all the breakthroughs and results. I don't see division giving the same results." Alberta was quiet as she tried to think up a reply to it,

"I don't like your tone of voice and you announced your resignation a few months ago, so that make's you a civilian, so I don't know what you're still doing here." She said.

"Because you're short staffed and right now I'm an asset because of my knowledge on A.A.I and Christof. You have read the updates I presume."

"Yes. Is your husband doing the same? Frolicking about like he has his old job back." Michelle fought the urge to punch her, she'd known her less than two minuets and already Michelle had taken a firm disliking towards her

"If you mean that he's getting results then yes." Michelle turned to see Jack coming up. Alberta held out her hand but Jack either chose to ignore it or didn't notice.

"What are you doing here?"

"Division sent us to keep an eye on you, they seem to think that there's a bit too much rule breaking going on here."  
"Look I will not have you impede my investigation, either help or leave too many lives are at stake. Now excuse me but I have to go interrogate someone." He turned on his heel and headed back towards the interrogation rooms.

"Michelle," Adam said looking up from his desktop, "I think I found him." Michelle walked over with Alberta on her heels. "Is that him?" he asked pointing to the picture on the screen. Michelle took a deep breath, "Yeh, that's him. What intell have we got on him?"

"Not much, I'm on the database of A.A.I, he was the boss until Christof came along, but seeing as this is on A.A.I I can almost 100% assume that it's all fake. But I'm cross-referencing his photo and aliases to see if we come up with anything." Michelle looked at the photo.

"Print me off a copy." She said, Adam looked at her questionably, "Just do it Adam."

"And what are you going to do with the photo Ms. Dessler?"

"I'm going to show it to Christof." She said matter-of-factually.

"What?" Alberta said incredulously, "You're a civilian."

"So? I know Christof better than anyone else here, I know which buttons to push to get him to talk."

"Surely Jack can't allow this."

"I have and I will." Jack said from behind Alberta causing her to jump.

"But…" She said starting to protest.

"But nothing Alberta! I will not have the death of hundred of thousands on my conscience when I know there was something I could have done about it. If it means breaking the rules then so be it, but as Michele said, I don't see anyone else getting the kind of results we're getting. Adam print me off a photo as well I'll show it to Terry and see if he ever met the guy." Adam handed them the photos. "Chloe you go with Michelle and help her with interrogating Christof."

"I think I'd better watch Jack." Alberta said

"I don't think th…" he said but was interrupted by her;

"Jack neither Tony or Michelle are CTU agents and to be honest I don't trust them." Alberta said to him speaking about Michelle as if she wasn't there.

"We both worked for CTU but my husband was put in Jail and I left but we're good at what we do and both of us have met at least some of the suspects, so we know what we're doing. I'm sure Adam needs some help though." She said, tiered and annoyed with Alberta's behaviour. She was about to reply when Michelle walked off followed by Jack and Chloe.

---------

"So Terry, when did they first come to you saying they had a job for you?" Jack asked. The man was scared enough for Jack not having to intimidate him.

"Two weeks after I started working at CTU."

"Why did you say yes?" Terry said nothing. "Answer the question Terry."

"I had debts to pay off, they said they would do it."

"How badly have you compromised us at CTU?" Terry didn't reply, Jack repeated the question but still he didn't reply. Jack moved on to the next question, placing the photo in front of Terry he asked if he recognised it when Terry still refused to answer Jack stepped outside and was joined by Tony.

"He's not going to tell us any more Jack. I don't even think he knew that much to begin with."

"Another fucking dead end!" Jack said angrily punching the wall to vent some of it out.

"We still got Christof, he tell us more when the pardon arrives."

"But it's taking to long!" Tony was about to reply when Adam appeared.

"Jack I swear I can't handle that woman anymore, put her on someone else. She's driving me crazy I swear she continues like this I will kill her." Tony looked questioningly at Adam.

"Who?"

"Alberta Green"

"What's she doing her?"

"Hammond got promoted and Alberta got his place. She's already butted heads against Michelle."

"And..?"

"She lost, Michelle's interrogating Christof now to see if he can name her other kidnapper."

"You found him?" Tony asked.

"Yeh, but apart from the photo we don't know anything else about him, hopefully Michelle can get something."

"What's his alias name?"

"Mike Winslead"

"Micelle's interrogating Christof now?" Tony asked.

"Yeh, Chloe's with her."

"Does Alberta know?"

"Yes but she's not happy. I wouldn't go and speak to her unless absolutely necessary."

"What do you mean?"

"Michelle totally pissed her off," Jack cut in, "She's going to want to vent her anger on someone else…"

"You think she'll pick me?"

"Well it would piss Michele off and you know Alberta always likes to get one over on people." Tony inwardly groaned, this was the last thing he needed right now.

-------------

Michelle stormed in to the interrogation room, her meeting with Alberta had made her angry and she decided that Christof would be the best person to vent it out on.

"What's his name?" she said slamming the photo onto the table. Christof looked at the photo.

"Mike Winslead"

"Bullshit Christof! What's his real name?!" Christof was silent, which only seemed to add fuel to her anger. "Christof stop wasting time!"

"But why Michelle? I have all the time in the world until that pardon arrives." He said gleefully. Michelle was quiet as she thought about how to get him to talk, she had almost no cards left to play. All of a sudden Chloe voice spoke in her ear piece.

"Michelle, come out here for a second they found something, I think you should hear this." Michele gave Christof one last filthy look and then stepped outside. Chloe, Adam, Jack, Tony and Alberta all stood outside.

"What's happened?" Michelle asked.

"I was looking through the files and comparing A.A.I schematics to other public records that I know haven't been tampered with. The guy from Division just finished encrypting Christof's computer and found a list of buildings These twenty buildings have been tampered. Some have lost critical support pillar or foundations have been taken out. But what it means is that instead of needing 5 bombers for one building to come down…."

"They'd only need one, less conspicuous and they'd be able to do more damage." Jack said finishing of what Adam was saying. "Let me see that list." Jack ordered. "All public places, offices, Shopping malls."

"Could we close them down?"

"We don't have a time frame so we don't know how long they'll be closed and they'll still do it when we re-open them." Alberta said.

"We need names and times." Jack said, "You getting anywhere with Christof?" he asked Michelle.

"No, he's not going to talk until he had his pardon."

"Adam go see if it's arrived yet. What the hell's taking the president so long?"

"How about Terry?"

"He's not talking, I doubt he knows anything useful, names weren't exchanged and he just accepted the money.

"Have you checked t see what files he accessed?"

"I'm working on it but I he either deleted everything or encrypted it, it's going to take more time." Alberta said. Michelle barley hid her surprise and couldn't help but grudgingly warm to Alberta. Yes she could be an obnoxious cow but she was on their team and she was helping.

"Fine, Chloe your good at that kind of thing, help Alberta and I'll take over with Christof. Adam see if there's anything else on Christof's computer and see if there's anything about a Mike Winslead." Everyone split to do their jobs leaving the three alone outside Christof's room.

"Can you and Michelle handle this I want to phone the president and see what's taking so long also I need to send this information to division." The pair nodded, Jack turned and headed towards his office.

-------

Jack sat down in his chair, this day was turning out to be longer then he expected. He wanted nothing more than to go home get a beer and sit in front of the T.V. After a few seconds of perfect peace he sat back up to type a quick email to division and the to other CTU agencies. As his hands hovered over the keyboard to type his phone rang picking it up angry because of the disruption he said;

"Bauer"

"Mr. Bauer do not move because I can see you right now do not attempt to draw attention to yourself and do not warn anybody." Said a clipped Russian accent. Jack froze his mind trying to take in what was going on. Terry must have given them access to our security system! He though alarmed. That meant they could watch everything going on. Jack slightly turned in his chair so that his chair and body obscured himself from who ever was watching line of site. "Don't do anything stupid Jack," said the voice.

"Who am I talking to?" He asked.

"This isn't one of you interrogation rooms Jack, I hold all the cards. Do you know what card game we're about to play."

"No"

"We're going to play families Jack." Jacks innards froze. This had to be some sick demented joke. "Right now I have Kim with a gun to her head. You do anything stupid I kill her. Is that understood? Nod if you understand your on camera Jack." Jack nodded.

"I'll kill you if you lay a hand on her, I shoot you myself. Let me speak to her!"

"You're in no position to make demands."

"I will not do anything until I talk to her."

"Fine Jack, here she is."

"Dad?" said a scared voice, undoubtedly Kim's.

"Sweetheart are you all right? How are Chase and the kid?"

"I don't know." She was scared and Jack wanted her kidnappers blood on his hands. Chase was a good choice for Kim, Jack hoped he wasn't dead.

"She's alive for now but if you want to see her again you have to do something for me." Jack listened.

"Michelle escaped from me earlier and you help her so I think it only fitting that this decision be left to you. You choose whether we have Michelle, who's all ready been raped by one of us or Tony, but if Tony steps outside this building unescorted he's pardon becomes void and he goes back to Jail for 20 years, that's if he ever sees the light of day again, which he wont. The decision is yours Mr. Bauer." Jack felt as if all the breath in his lungs had been taken out. "It is usefs will that this be done."

"Liar!" Jack said. "We know Yusef's dead!"

"He is not" the voice hissed back, Jack knew he'd hit a nerve. He thought frantically to see if he could use this to his advantage but his train of thought was interrupted, "So what's the choice to be Jack, Michelle or Tony? Neither will ever speak to you again after this, this last thread to you past life cut."

"I assume that I'm talking to Mike Winslead. We've got the rest of you in all the other CTU agencies. It's only a matter of time before we find the bombers and stop them. Then what will happen Mike?" Jack said, ignoring what he said before, frantically trying to buy time.

"Even if we are stopped at least we'll have vengeance, Tony has to be destroyed, either physically or metaphorically. I don't care, that decision is up to you. Now give me an answer before my finger pulls the trigger by sheer boredom." Jack closed his eyes and thought, this was so unfair he couldn't do it. "Three…..Two…"  
"Stop.." Jack said. If there was a chance he could stop it then there was only one choice, and deep down he knew it was a selfish one.

"Who is it Jack?" Jack knew that he was more then likely signing their death warrant but said the name anyway.

**Who 30 pages that's a lot, Like the cliff-hanger. How about you all guess who it is? I know it's harsh but I just couldn't resist. I'll try and update as soon as possible but I'm about to go on holiday and I'm supposed to have done my holiday homework. Anyway I'd love for you al to review. Hopefully not nasty ones and a huge thanks to anyone whose already review, how about you leave another one. ****JJJJJJJ**


	7. 6

Last chapter! WOW thank you so much for all the reviews I just want you to know I'm not a doctor or in the army so there may be loads of inaccuracies in the chapter. I'm really sorry if there are. As always read and review.

"Michelle," He whispered.

"My Jack, you would have made a good psychotic killer, oh I forgot, you already are one." Mike laughed at his own joke. Jack said nothing trying hard to comprehend what he'd just sentenced Michelle to. She'd been through so much, but the commando part of his brain had made the decision, she would be easier to remove from the building.

"You realize what Tony's going to go through when he finds out what's happened to Michelle, you've gone through exactly the same thing," Jack froze, he'd not thought of it that way, he wouldn't want what he'd been through on his worst enemy, let alone someone he considered a close friend. "You know exactly what you've sentenced him to. God Jack, I must say I admire you in a twisted way." Jack continued to say nothing as Mike gloated over the phone, he continued to speak but Jack was too far in his thoughts to hear him. He knew what Tony would feel, he knew that he'd feel betrayed. Tony trusted him and Jack was about to kill the only thing that Tony held dear. He remembered how he'd wanted Nina's blood after Terri's death, he knew that Tony would want his after this.

"Bring her to the warehouse just north of the pier 12," Mike said bringing jack back to reality, "You have 2 hours and if you try any heroics or bring anyone else into this I will kill your lovely daughter and send you her head, remember I'll always be watching you." Mike said, hanging up before Jack could say anything in reply. Jack sat for a few moments trying to formulate a plan, he glanced desperately around his office for inspiration, his eyes settled on his laptop and on the email he was about to send, suddenly it hit him, looking round and giving the security camera a quick glance he got up and headed downstairs to set it into motion.

"Who is this?" Michelle said asking for the tenth time, but still Christof refused to answer.

"Come out Michelle, he's not going to talk until he's got his pardon." Tony said tiredly. Michelle stormed out, slamming the door and went to go join Tony.

"You spoken to Jack yet?" Michelle said, and as if saying his name had summoned him Jack came into the room.

"Get any more information out of Christof?" He asked, both shook their heads. "Michelle I just got some intell from the Las Vegas division, their Man just broke, he won't give us the real name of Mike's but he did get us some intell and a partial address to do with A.A.I. Michelle I need you to come with me so that it can look as if it has something to do with A.A.I, or you can use your information on Christof and what he told you as a way to get in there." Michelle and Tony said nothing. "Michelle we really have to move quickly because they might have been warned the sooner we get there the more information we might get."

"Jack, Michelle's been through enough already, can't you just send for tactical so that we get everyone?" Tony asked. Jack paused thinking quickly, he hadn't had time to think this all through and he'd forgotten that Tony was always able to find problems in plans quicker than most people.

"No, I think this situation has to be handled delicately, but Adam will have Tactical ready a bit further off. Michelle I've know you've been through a lot but we really need you to do this, I wouldn't ask but it's important." He turned and left obviously expecting Michelle to follow, she got up to do so but Tony grabbed her hand.

"I don't care what Jack says, something doesn't feel right, just tell Jack where to stick it, I don't want anything to happen to you." Tony said, Michelle looked at him seeing the sincerity in there along with something else, fear. He was scared for her.

"I have to Tony, don't worry I won't take any more stupid risks, I'll get out as soon as I can." She tried to give him her most reassuring smile, but like him she didn't like the feel of this. "I've got to go." She said sliding out of his grasp and stepping out the door leaving Tony at a loss of what to do.

Jack and Michelle drove in silence. Michelle was going through what Jack had said at CTU, something was wrong, it just didn't seem to make sense, so she decided to ask Jack more about what was going on seeing as he hadn't even debriefed her at CTU.

"Jack, in the email did they give a name?"

"No"

"Just an address?"

"Yes" He said, Michelle thought it was strange that they'd given an address and not a name. She decided to share her worries with Jack.

"Jack, didn't you think it strange that we were given an address and not a name?

"I know it seemed strange but that's what it said in the email."

"Maybe they forgot to add it to the email. Pass your phone, I'll call Adam and ask him to phone them and see if they have a name."

"No, I already tried and phoned them, they got no name."

"What if it's a trap?" She cast a glance into the side mirror looking for the cars behind them which would have held the Tactical team in. There were no cars.

"Jack where's Tactical?"

"They're going to be a bit late and we'll be inside before they're ready." Jack said. Michelle breath got caught in her throat.

"Not that I don't trust you Jack but after what I've been through today I want to wait until Tactical are in place. I'm sorry Jack but I'll just feel safer knowing that they're there."

"You've got nothing to worry about, I'll have a tracer and bug on you."

"That didn't do me a lot of good last time." She said. Jack didn't know how to reply to what she had said. "Where are we going anyway?" She asked looking out the window for any telltale signs.

"Docks, there's a warehouse just north of pier 12, that's were you've got to go." Michelle said nothing and Jack thought anxiously, this wasn't working. It was only a matter of time before she or someone realized what was going on.

Tony waited for a while before he left the holding and went to go see if Adam needed anything, and he wanted to keep an eye on Michelle.

"Adam how far until Tactical arrive?" Tony asked.

"What?" Adam said looking up from the computer.

"Jack told me he assigned you to the Tactical." Tony said leaning against a desk.

"I didn't even realize there was anything going on, last time I saw Jack he was talking to Chloe and Alberta." Adam said. "I've been working on Christof's computer, I think I'm on to something but I'm not sure, I need some more time." Tony got up and went to go to talk to Chloe, _Jacks probably just got Chloe and Adam mixed up _Tony told himself trying to calm himself.

"Chloe did Jack reassign you to Tactical?" Tony asked.

"No, but he went off with Michelle something about needing her at division, I'm working on decryption with Alberta we're almost done…." Tony didn't stand to listen to what she said but sprinted up his stairs into Jacks office. Chloe looked on shocked and ran after him. "Tony what the hell are you doing? This is break…"

"Jack lied!" He snapped at Chloe, sitting down in front of Jacks computer he went to access Jacks emails.

"What do you mean Jack lied?"

"Jack came into the interrogation and told us that he'd just received invaluable information that meant Michelle had to go with him and that Adam was heading Tactical here. But I just spoke to him to see if there was anything I could do to help he said that he hadn't even heard of this and you just told me that he was taking Michelle to division and I bet if Alberta phones district they won't have sent such an order. What the hell is Jack playing at?" Tony said, only confirming his suspicions when he looked into Jacks inbox, there was no email. Chloe was about to reply when a call came. She picked it up.

"O'Brien"

"Chloe get down here we've got the encryption key and we have a major problem." Alberta said sown the phone. Chloe slammed the phone and ran down the stairs almost going down them two at a time, Tony was quick on her heels.

"Look at this," Alberta said pointing at the computer screen.

"Shit" Tony said looking over Chloe's shoulder.

On the screen was a menu, it displayed a profile on every worker at CTU and it showed that he's hacked into their security systems and could see everything their camera's could.

"Can you get them out of their systems Chloe?" Albert said, but Chloe was already gone heading to Tech 1.

"Tony, I think that I can trace this trail to see where this person is accessing it from." Alberta said, Tony looked up startled, she was treating him as if he was someone that worked here. Suddenly he realized that with Jack gone it meant Chloe was in charge but she didn't seem to realize that and neither did everyone else, they seemed to think that he was important, he may not be director of CTU formally but in his work colleagues minds he was.

"Do it" he said,

"Tony!" He spun round to see where the call had come from it was Adam. Adam beckoned him and Tony walked swiftly over. "I came across his last thing he accessed it's a web room of sorts just everything's encrypted and you need special access or everything goes into self deletion, I've translated some of it but it's going to take a while longer. But your and Michelle's name seem to have appeared."

"Was this before or after they pulled me out of Jail?" Tony asked

"After"

"Keep working on this, I'm going to see if Chloe needs anything,"

"Wait there's more, there was a file attached to it I opened it and it was this," Adam clicked a button and a series of pictures popped onto the screen. It was photos of Kym Bauer and Chase. Tony looked at them, trying hard to make sense of the puzzle, he knew he had all the pieces but he couldn't seem to put them together. "They got married only a short while ago…"

"Does her name appear in the encryption?"

"I haven't looked. When Jack sees this he's going to want to go to Kym right away and make sure she's safe…" Suddenly it hit Tony.

"Michelle…."

"What about her I thought she was still interrogating Christof, I saw Jack go that way I thought he was going to help you with the interrogation."

"He left with Michelle…."Tony trailed off.

"It's done!" Chloe said reappearing suddenly, "It was only a small attachment and seeing as I knew what I was looking for I managed to get rid of it really easily, they can't see us now." Neither man said anything, "Gee Chloe, well done," she said sarcastically.

"Mike has Kym and they're trading for Michelle." Tony said to himself.

"What!?" Chloe said. Casting a glance at the photos on the screen she saw Kym and then partially realised what Tony meant.

"Great news" Alberta said bustling in on there little gathering. All three looked up expectantly. "I just got a all from division, the man in Chicago just broke and is telling them everything to the way they work to how to get in touch with the Suicide bombers. Also he's sprouting some rubbish about Yus.."

"Yusef Ali being dead." Tony said guessing what she was about to say.

"How'd you know that?" She asked in wonder.

"Because that's what Christof told us, but he said that they were only rumours. If people found out then they'd have lost faith in the cause and it would have failed they had to make it seem as if he were still alive." He continued to fill them all in on what Christof had told his wife. "We weren't sure if he was telling the truth." Tony finished.

"But what's Kym got to do with all this" Adam said staring at bewilderment at the screen before him.

"A.M.D is all about revenge, I destroyed Yusef Ali and now they want to destroy me…"

"And they'll do it through Michelle." Alberta said interrupting Tony, "They kidnap Kym and he'll go after her and do whatever's necessary I saw it before when they were kidnapped when there was an assignation attempt on the Presidents Palmers life.

"I'll put out a call for his car," Adam said.

"I'll see it I can pick him up on any of our Sat-Navs" Chloe said disappearing to her desk.

"I'll follow up on that trail from the Terry's computer and see what I can do about finding the bombers" Alberta said quickly excusing herself from Tony's presence. Tony looked around and saw that none of them were looking towards him as if ashamed. Tony walked towards the edge of the bullpen and took the phone, making sure it was secure so that none of them could hear them he called the number by heart, hoping that Michelle hadn't changed her number.

Michelle woke up from her day dream when her phone rang, jumping slightly she looked at it. It was CTU, or most likely Tony.

"Who is it?" Jack asked.

"Someone at CTU, most likely Tony," she went to answer it.

"Don't!" Jack said realising that they must have found out, he'd thought he'd have more time.

"Jack?" Michelle said questioningly, she continued to reach to answer her phone, Jack realised he had no choice. He pulled out his gun, Michelle froze. "What the hell are you doing Jack?" she said staring at the gun.

"I'm sorry Michelle I really am but I have no other choice. Give me your phone, Slide it along the dash." He said calmly trying to keep his eyes on the road as well as on Michelle.

"Why are you doing this?" She said.

"Mike took Kym and he said I had to take you and give you to him in return for the safe delivery of my daughter." Jack said. He was about to continue to try and justify himself when his cell went off, looking down he saw that it was CTU, he knew they'd continue calling him, he had to get them off his back, and he felt so guilty if he were in Tony's position he would want some kind of explanation. He put on his hands free set and answered it.

"What the fuck are you playing at you son of a bitch?" Tony said down that phone.

"They took Kym." Jack said.

"And you kidnap my wife." Tony snapped, he was playing for time, he needed to find out where Jack was he put a tracer on and all he needed was to keep him talking for a minute.

"I'm sorry but I have no other choice, she's all I've got left." Jack said, he knew it was a terrible excuse but he just couldn't sit by and do nothing, even though he Michelle was a dear friend he was willing to sacrifice her for his daughter.

"Then work with CTU and we can get both back." Tony said, Jack couldn't help but smile at the irony of the situation, those were the exact words he'd said to Tony when Tony had kidnapped Saunders daughter for Michelle's safe return. "Jack turn the car around and come back to CTU." Jack was quiet as he tried to think it through, he knew there'd be repercussions later but his thoughts focused on Kym.

"I'm sorry Tony," He hung up the phone. Tony let out a stream of swear words and looked at the computer to try and find out if they could narrow down the search, he hadn't spoken to Jack long enough all it was narrowed down to was a 10 mile radius, in other words utterly usless. Closing his eyes and focusing quickly he went to Chloe to see if he'd been picked up on any of the Sat-Navs.

They drove in uncomfy silence, Jack had lowered the gun but it was still there although Michelle didn't now if Jack would really shoot her.

"Do you know if Chase and the baby are still alive?" Michelle asked.

"No" Jack said, focusing on the road, the turn of was coming soon.

"Jack you could still call in backup, it doesn't have to be this way."

"It does, if Kym dies…..I'll never be able to live with myself."

"You know they'll kill me," Michelle said trying hard to get him to change his mind. Jack said nothing, "You promised to look after me, when Tony was going to jail." Still Jack continued to say nothing, but Michelle could see that she was starting to get through to him. "If you'd done this yesterday I might just have gone along with it but Tony's free now, in less that a year he'll be out and we want nothing more to do with this," she motioned towards his gun. This didn't seem to affect him so she played her final card. "You know what it's like to lose a wife Jack, you know how it completely destroys a person, don't let Tony go through it." Jack finally turned to face her and she knew she'd won.

"Call CTU tell them we have to be at the warehouse just north of pier 12, tell them to keep tactical back and of Kym dies I will kill every single one of them." Jack threatened passing her cell back to her, and she knew that his threat was not an empty one. Michelle accepted the phone and called CTU.

"Almeida"

"It's me," she said.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

"Fine, Jack will work with CTU but if Tacticle screw this up he'll kill them." Michelle said. "We have to be at the warehouse just north of pier 12."

"Got it, give us a few minutes to pull up the photos of the layout."

"Call me back then we should be pulling up in about 10 minutes." She hung up the phone. Jack cast a glance, she seemed more relaxed now. The silence was shattered by Jack's cell going off, "That was quick" Michelle said, Jack picked it up.

"Bad move Jack," Mike said down the phone, Jack froze. "Who is it?" Michelle mouthed, Jack put the phone on loudspeaker. "I know you called in CTU. Bad move, very bad move." Mike continued. Michelle looked dumbstruck.

"How did you know Mike?" Jack asked.

"You may have stopped me from seeing you from the security cameras, but I've been monitoring all ingoing and outgoing information. Alberta Green just sent an update by email to her heads at Division. And because of your insubordination your daughter has to pay." A single shot was fired followed by a scream.

"KYM!" Jack shouted. Michelle's hand went to her mouth as she tried to stifle a cry so that Mike wouldn't now she was listening. "I'LL KILL YOU!" Jack shouted down the phone, "I'LL HURT YOU SO BAD YOU'LL CURSE YOUR MOTHER FOR GIVING BIRTH TO YOU, YOU BASTARD!" Jack shouted.

"Now Jack, there's no need for unpleasantness, I've only shot her in the leg. But I have opened a main artery so you have about an hour before she bleeds to death. The location has changed as you might have guessed, on the corner of Kentville street there's a shop, go through there and go to the man at the counter and say you have Michelle, he'll frisk you and Michelle and then you'll see me and get your daughter back in exchange for Michelle. And CTU are not to be brought into it this time, or your daughter will become unrecognisable, is that understood Jack?" Jack glanced at Michelle, he took it off loudspeaker.

"Yes" Mike hung up the phone. "I'm so sorry Michelle." Jack said. Michelle said nothing, she was looking out the window as if coming to some decision in her mind. When she looked at him he saw a look of sad resolution.

"You have no choice, I'll never live with myself knowing I took the last strand of humanity in you." Michelle said. Jack didn't look at her but at the GPS so he could find the shop, he couldn't look at her, if he did he didn't think he'd be able to go through with it. She was going to sacrifice herself for Kym. Someone she'd never really got to know that well, all because of Jack. He could see why Tony loved her, she was so much stronger then she ever let on, and in that split second he made a decision, he'd try to get her out and if he didn't he'd help Tony pull the trigger aimed at his head. Her cell phone ringing dragged him from his thoughts.

"It's Tony," She said, just staring at the cell phone not picking it up.

"Do you want me to answer it?" He asked.

"No, I want to hear him one last time." She said sadly before answering the call.

"Tactical should be there in around 10 minutes, wait until they get there Michelle." Tony said, "I don't care what Jack says just wait for them to arrive before going in. Put me one loudspeaker so I can tell Jack how they'll be spread out." Michelle did that.

"I can hear you Tony," Jack said.

"They'll be out of site, I'm uploading the Sat-Navs now, no-one will know they're there and they'll need a sign for when to go in."

"I'll say no-more." Jack said,

"Fine, you'll both be bugged and tracker then, what frequency?"

"Not tracker but I'll plant a bug on Michelle." Jack said, although he had no intention of doing so. "Look Tony we have to go we're just rounding in." Jack reached to hang up the phone but Michelle lunged and picked up the receiver taking it off loudspeaker.

"Tony?" She said down the phone, Jack could tell it was going to turn into a personal call and so tried hard not to listen.

"Yeh"

"I…I love you" she said not to letting any emotion she was feeling into her voice but she was trying hard not to cry. Tony was taken by surprise, she didn't normaly mix their work with their private lives, but he ignored it,

"I love you too." He said, "Is something wrong?"

"No.. no.. it's just that with everything that's happened to day I just wanted you to know that I always have and always will." She said. Tony got the hidden message, she was scared.

"Hey, everything will be fine. When I get out we'll look back on this day and laugh. In fact, when I get out we'll go in holiday, somewhere exotic and warm just like our honeymoon." Michelle smiled fondly in remembrance. She'd miss him so much and she could only hope that Tony would be alright after she left forever

"I've got to go Tony,"

"Everything will be fine, don't worry." Tony said. Michelle hung up the phone, and looked at it. Biting her bottom lip to stop herself from crying, but it was to no avail and a single tear slid down but she quickly brushed it away.

"Michelle…"Jack said.

"Don't Jack. Your right there is no other choice no matter how much I don't like it. Just promise me something."

"Anything"

"Look after Tony and make sure he continues to live, and tell him that I choose this and that it was my decision, you didn't force me into anything." She said looking intently at him. Jack nodded.

"I promise to look after him and I'll tell him what you said but he won't believe me. If Nina had said the same thing to me when Terri died I wouldn't have listened, I'd just have shot her. But I promise I'll try."

"Then I suppose it's the best thing you can do then." She was silent and Jack didn't try to break it bacuse he didn't know what else to say. And far to soon in Jack's mind they were pulling into Kentville street. The shop became visable at the end. It was an old Antique shop.

"Tony!" He looked up to see who was calling his name. It was Adam.

"What?" He said walking towards him.

"Tacticles ETA is about 7 minutes."

"And?"

"They asked for an infa red scan to find out how many people were there and I did it but I thought it was wrong so I did in again but the results were the same."

"What are you talking about?" Tony said. Adam showed him, he was looking at the scan but there were no red dots. No-one was at the Warehouse. "Are you sure?" Tony asked.

"Yeh, but it gets weirder, I found out they had security cameras so I hacked into them, look.." he pressed a button and showed the footage. Tony saw 3 vans pull in to the entrance and he saw Mike get out of the van and check something on his sion, frown, make a phone call and then go to open the doors and then he seemed to notice the security camera for the first time and take a gun and shoot at it.

"They should be in there." Adam said. Tony stared intently at the screen, "Rewind it" he said. Adam did and Tony watched more closely this time. "Pause it." He said jabbing a finger at the screen, adam enhanced it, in the corner were one of Mike henchmen were opening the door was a tire and a bumper

"They changed cars." Tony said. The full extent to what this meant took a few seconds to sink in. Michelle knew it had changed, that was why she had said she loved him, because she didn't expect to ever see him again. "Pull Sat-Navs and check all traffic cameras round that area, get in contact with Tacticle tell them the locations changed although we're working on finding it." Tony ordered. He had to get out of here, just for a moment. He need a minute to get his thought together.

"I'll have Chloe put a call out for Jacks car again." Adam said trying to lend what little comfort he could, he had no idea what Tony was going through but Tony had been sympathetic when his sister had been diagnosed with the virus, he respected Tony and had never thought he'd deserved what had happened to him. "I'm sorry Tony" Adam said, Tony acknowledged him with a nod. Then he turned away and went to go and speak to Alberta and see if he had found out were the trail led to. Adam watched him walk away, his head seemed lowered as if in defeat. _Don't give up Tony, we'll find her _Adam thought to himself, turning back to his computer he typed with renewed effort.

"Alberta, where are we on finding out were they were all coming from." Tony asked, he wanted nothing more then to find a quiet place and die, they had only a few minutes before Jack met Mike wherever there new location was and then Jack would hand Michelle over for Kym and Michelle would die. The thought of him never seeing Michelle was enough for all the air t seem to escape from his lungs and although he wanted to hate Jack, he couldn't, not completely because if he was in the same position he would have done the same thing.

"Adam just told me," she paused, not sure how to continue, "Do we have any time frame for when they swaps going to happen, and where?"

"It'll peobably happen in the next half an hour or sooner, as for where…I've no idea." He finished.

"Well, there are loads of dead ends but we're almost there. You think that's where the new location is?"

"Maybe, they had to change at last minute and they'll want to make sure they have the upper hand in the exchange so maybe they'll chose a location they feel comfortable in."

"Why'd the change the location anyway?" She asked. Tony didn't know, he was surprised that he'd not asked himself before now.

"Does anyone apart from the people at CTU know about Jack taking Michelle?" Tony asked, if she said no then that meant that either Chloe had failed to remove the bug or they had a second mole, however unliky that seemed. Alberta's face went ashen. "What did you do?" Tony said.

"I sent an email about the situation to Division because they want tobe kept updated, I mentioned Michelle and Jack…. I'm so sorry Tony" She said looking sincere when she offered her apology. Tony wanted to punch her even though she was doing her job, she wouldn't have known but that didn't make him fell any better.

"Contact division tell them they may have a mole, then try and work out where that came from. I'll see if I can get anything from Terry" Alberta just nodded but Tony didn't see, he had a purpose, Terry or Christof would know, and if he to kill them to get it he would.

Terry looked around the room, no-one had come to talk to him in a long while, as if tempting fate the door opened and Tony stepped in;

"You didn't answer Jacks question before and I believe you know more then your letting on, how badly have you compromised CTU?" Terry said nothing. "Do not fuck me about Terry, I am not in the mood, you will tell me, you understand or I will get the information from you with Sam standing over you, and then when you have told me everything I won't stop Sam and he can continue to inject you with that shit and I'll be watching you and smiling." Terry said nothing thinking he was bluffing. "Terry this is your last chance." Terry was going to continue to say nothing but he made the mistake of quickly looking into his eyes. They were glassed over as if not caring, Terry realized he wasn't bluffing, he'd only seen that look in one mans other eyes and that was Jack Bauer. What ever was going on was bad and Terry realized that if things went wrong he'd be on the receiving on of this mans anger.

"At first all I did was put a small bug into our systems so they would find out if we found out about A.M.D and then they asked for past records for you and anyone you came into contact with."

"Did you supply it?"

"Yes, then they wanted one of Michelle and Jack and I thought it was strange but the money was good so I just did it. They asked for me to give them the codes to the security cameras. I didn't want to but they said they'd reveal me to Jack so I did it and then they wanted me to plant a dormant worm in the systems so that when they needed they could release it."

"Is it still there?"

"Yes, in socket ER2544." Tony made a mental note and would tell Chloe. "Then they used asked me to make a small hole in the firewall, so that they could check all outgoing and ingoing information."

"So basically they were watching everything we did. You compromised us that badly." Terry looked down ashamed. "Was it worth it? How much were they paying you? A few hundred grand? Is that how much all those lives are worth to you?" Tony said, disgusted. Tony slid the photo of Mike in front of him, "What's his name?"

"I don't know." Tony could sense he was telling the truth, he'd got everything that Terry knew. He walked off, closeing the door and went to find Chloe and Alberta and tell them what he'd just found out.

"Chloe!" Tony shouted over, she looked up.

"What?"

"There's a worm in socket ER2544, get rid of it and I need you to find a hole in the firewall, Mike monitoring all our communication through it." Chloe looked at him, not moving, "Do it Chloe!" Tony shouted already walking away to tell get an update from Alberta.

Alberta was talking quickly down the phone to one of her seniors, "No sir…..I'm not sure but he must have found out some way…….yes sir…….I understand," She looked up and realized Tony was walking over, "I have to go." She put down the phone, "They'll look but they doubt it's from their side they think there may be a second one here," she looked suspiciously round.

"No, Terry put a hole in our firewall so he could monitor all incoming information." Alberta looked at him surprised.

"He told you, and he wouldn't tell Jack." She said.

"How much longer till you have an address?" He asked aware that every second they stood talking was a greater chance of not getting to Michelle on time.

"Not Long…"

"Fine, I'm going to go interrogate Christof then" Tony said, he couldn't sit doing nothing, he knew everyone else was doing the best they could and that there was nothing he could do but he could feel them staring at him, they all knew what was going on. Alberta looked as if she was about to argue against the fact but shut her mouth thinking better of it. He turned and went back towards the interrogation rooms, to see if he could repeat his success with Christof.

"Tony!" Tony stopped; Adam was waving something in his hand.

"What's that?"

"The pardon was just faxed through," He said handing it over to Tony. Tony wanted nothing more then to rip it to pieces, he didn't want Christof to go free but realistically he had no choice. Suddenly an idea formed in his head,

"Photocopy this for me will you." Tony said handing it back to Adam, Adam looked at him questionably but Tony ignored it and waited for Adam to do it.

Michelle looked at the shop, and it took all her nerves to open the door and step out. She wanted nothing better then to grab Jacks gun and shoot him and escape but she didn't, she had no choice. She was amazing herself that she had this much courage. Jack still hadn't got out. _Come on,_ i_t's not as if your going to your death _she thought bitterly. Jack looked at her and got out, he grabbed her by the elbow and started to lead her into the shop.

Jack mind was reeling, he was running hundreds of scenarios in his head to see if he could use any of them to get her out. None seemed to be helpful. _Think Jack _he screamed in his head. They entered the shop, piles of old furniture lay stacked carefully in the corners, there were even a few customers, an young man stood behind the counter, Jack walked over but Michelle stopped, her breath had quickened, "Come on Michelle, please," he whispered hoarsely in her ear.

"I can't Jack." She said.

"Yes you can," he said encouragingly.

"Jack, your going to walk away from this. I'm not! They're going to kill me to get back at my husband and then dump my body somewhere!" She said her voice raising, people were starting to look her way.

"Michelle, if it's any consolation I'm sorry I really am but I have no other choice," and with that he roughly dragged her to the counter.

Christof smiled lazily when Tony walked in. "My friend, how is Michelle holding up?" Christof with mock sincerity, Tony looked at him, his fingers were still at odd angles and his nose had swollen and gone red.

"Better than you are." Tony replied "Why'd you tell Michelle that you needed her to hack into CTU, you already had Terry?"

"We knew that she'd get CTU involved, she's the type. We needed to get to Jack and to you, she seemed the perfect person and that was the perfect excuse." Christof said.

Tony held up the photocopied pardon. "Finally arrived," Tony said waving it in front of Christof who tried to get it but his fingers weren't responding and his hands were still handcuffed to the arms of the chair. Tony took it back and got his torch and did a trick that Terry ,his friend at jail, had told him, he dimmed the lights in the interrogation room and shone the light at the one way glass, it shone through into the other smaller room. "As you can see it's empty," he said to Christof, he switched the lights back on and turned off the torch laying it on the table, "And that," he motioned to the camera in the corner, "is off. And no-one else has seen this pardon I got it first." Christof looked at him, "What's Mike Real name?" Tony said. Christof didn't answer, "You try and escape because you think we tricked into thinking that you'd got a pardon and you thought that you'd never get it, anyway while you try to escape I shoot you," Tony placed his final item on the table, a gun.

"You'll never get away with it." Christof said.

"Yes I will because that'll be what they want to hear. One less terrorist in the world and they saved themselves a place in Gwantamino Bay." Of course Tony was bluffing but Christof would never know.

"Last chance to tell me," He said, grabbing the pardon as if to rip it in two.

"Alexei Drazen" Christof said. Tony let the paper fall to the floor from shock.

"He died" Tony spluttered.

"No," Christof said, "He is very much alive," Tony said nothing stunned into silence.

"Is he a relation of Viktor Drazen?"

"Brother, he has a nephew who was named after him. Didn't they all die at the hands of Jack a few years back?" Tony ran out the room, and didn't hear Christof laugh behind him. _This changes everything_ Tony thought.

"Alberta!" Tony shouted, "Do you remember Viktor Drazen?" She nodded, "Christof just told me that Mike's real name is Alexei Drazen!"

"What?! He died!" She said,

"No, Alexei Drazen was Viktor's brother, Viktor named one of his kids Alexei!" Alberta tried to say something but like Tony this revelation stunned her into silence.

"GOT IT!" Chloe shouted. Everyone turned to look at her.

"The worm?" Tony said.

"No! I got rid of that ages ago, the hole in the fire hole to see where it led and it goes to an address on a street called Kentville Street, Tony didn't even need to ask Adam what it was.

"It's an Antique shop, Tactical can be there in 5 minutes." Adam said

"Alberta, I need to be there." Alberta shook her head violently,

"No, your not allowed of premises unless under guard."

"Alberta I'm not a flight risk this is my wife we're talking about!" Tony said.

"I'm sorry Tony but that's breaking every rule in the book and I don.."

"Alberta, I can't help you here and Jacks out in the field and you know that this would be a lot smoother if you had someone from CTU there. I'm a lot more practiced out in the field then anyone else here. You know it makes sense." Alberta looked at him weighing up the pros and cons of it.

"If I let you my Superiors will have…."

"No they won't. Not if we pull this off. They'll think that you were using your initiative! You could even get a promotion." Tony knew he'd got her.

"Fine, but Kyles going with you" She motioned to one of the people that had come with her from Division. Tony glanced at Kyle quickly, and motioned for him to follow.

"I need to see Mike," Jack said to the man behind the desk.

"I'm sorry but I don't know what you're talking about."

"Tell him that Jack and Michelle are here." The boy looked at them and disappeared off into the back for a few minutes, although in Michelle's opinion he came back far too soon.

"Fine, this way," The boy said. They started down a corridor and half way down they stopped, the boy shoved them both against a wall and he quickly frisked Jack, removing his gun from him, then he checked again for any bugs or trackers on Jack, he found none. Then he turned his attention to Michelle, he frisked her as well but unlike Jack he lingered. He frisked her continually until it seemed he was using the frisking as an excuse.

"Hey!" Jack growled. The boy ignored him and continued to touch her. Jack could see Michelle was getting uncomfortable with this.

"John!" Barked a harsh heavily accented voice, Jack didn't turn to see the man behind him that had said this boys name. Michelle's face relaxed a bit, "They'll be time for that and more later." He said, slapping her bum. Jack saw Michelle grimace and couldn't help but do the same. "You didn't think we'd be killing her quickly," said the man slapping Jack on the back as if friendship. Jack turned and his eyes widened in shock. Before him stood Viktor Drazen he thought initially. Except on closer inspection he realised that it wasn't but it was someone that he looked remarkably similar. The man had more wrinkles and although he was smiling Jack could tell it wasn't genuine because it didn't reach his eyes. His hair was completely white and he wasn't wearing glasses and his beard looked straggly and his hair unkempt.

"No," The man, whom Jack assumed was Mike continued, "No, we'll be killing her slowly and we'll send her beloved husband a piece of her every week until even John won't want her," he laughed. "Oh dear, I seem to have spent too much time with Christof, talking about how I'm going to kill her. How is he though Jack?" Mike asked. Jack didn't say anything. "Cat got your tongue, don't worry, I felt bad for shooting Kym so I had someone bind the wound but you better be leaving soon before she bleeds to death anyways." He continued as if he was talking to an old friend. "Unlike some people who take pleasure from annihilating an entire family I have compassion."

"You're a relation of Viktor's." Jack said, Mike turned and all the friendliness had left his face, "he was my brother. And I loved his family, did you know it was me whom his wife and daughter were staying with, I had a business meeting early the next day, arranged at last minute so they went home early as well." He recalled, "His daughter was beautiful and you killed her."

"You've no intention of letting me leave here alive do you?" Jack said already knowing the answer.

"No, you will die with my face being the last thing you see and I will finally get my vengeance and I can put their souls to rest." Mike said. Jack cast a quick glance behind him to Michelle, all Mikes men were staring at her with hunger in her eyes but she looked on trying to seem as if it wasn't getting to her but he could see it did and what she'd just heard hadn't made her feel any better. Their eyes met for just a second but it said everything, she was terrified. Jack turned around wishing that he hadn't brought her into any of this. The corridor ended and it came out into room. There was a set of doors opposite to where the corridor came into the room. Mike continued to walk through the room as if there was nothing in there. But twenty five men sat around the edge of the room, all in their own thoughts only half of them looking up to see who was walking through. _These are the suicide bombers, _Jack thought to himself, and looking round quickly there stacked in one corner was a pile of explosive jackets. _Why did Mike bring us here? Is he that certain that he's safe and we can't be found? _Jack thought suddenly the answer came to him _He wants us to realise that there's nothing we can do to, that we're never going to get out so there's no point in trying to hide it. _As if Mike read his thoughts he turned to him.

"Here they are Jack? The very men that you're trying to find and stop and there's not a thing you can do about it. Now moving onto the main attraction," he said as they went through the doors, there piled in a heap like a bundle of washing lay Kym, almost dead from loss of blood.

"Kym" Jack said as he ran to her. She was almost unconscious from the loss of blood. He lifted her head, she was deadly pale and when Jack could tell that she was clammy. Michelle rushed over, "Honey" Jack said seeing if she responded to him, her eyes flickered.

"Dad?" She whispered.

"It's Ok, I'm here," He said, he looked desperately as Michelle. Kym needed to get to a hospital soon or she'd die. Michelle looked at him,

"She needs to go to a hospital or she'll die." She told Mike.

"That's not my problem." He said to her.

"She's done nothing wrong!" Michelle shouted at him. Mike face contorted in rage and he backhanded Michelle sending her to the floor, she landed on her side and gasped in pain.

"Neither had Viktor's wife and daughter, but that didn't stop him from killing them." He shouted down at her. Michelle looked at Jack not understanding.

"She arrived at CTU after I killed your brother." Jack said explaining to Mike.

"Well then, on one of your agonising pain filled nights together, you can explain what you did." Mike spat. Michelle pulled herself up into a sitting position to lean against the wall, she stared round the room, it wasn't small but with Mike, Jack, her, Kym and his tens goons it seemed very small, one wall was huge bay windows and doors that overlooked onto a very small high walled courtyard. Michelle looked at the small patch of sky that she could see and wished nothing better than to turn into a bird and fly away, then out of the corner of her eye she saw something move just behind one of the walls, looking at it carefully she realised what it was, the top of a helmet barley visible, SWAT were here, they were saved!. She slowly got up and walked back towards Jack, and looking carefully round the room she saw a small camera head popping through one of the ventilations at the top. She lowered herself so she was close to Jack. She wanted to tell him but she couldn't risk them overhearing, so she decided on another tactic, turning to Mike she said; "There are ten of you here and twenty in the next room surely one of you can get her to a hospital. Please Mike," She knew he'd say no, she just wanted to make sure that they knew roughly how many men there were.

"No, he wouldn't have done the same," Mike said gesturing to Jack, "And if you hadn't guessed the men next door have a date with explosives and L.A". Then she turned to Jack choosing her words carefully so that hopefully he'd understand but Mike and his men wouldn't.

"Jack, remember at the prison when we were trying to find Kyle Singer and you were getting Salzars out of prison." Jack looked at her not understanding but one look in her eyes told him to play along.

"Yes"

"Remember in the laundry room, that man was injured just like Kym, how did you fix the wound?" She asked. Jack looked at her, there'd been no man injured like Kym, but he played along.

"Like this." He said grabbing a piece of cloth and tying it round Kyms arm.

"What did Chase do?" Michelle asked. Jack looked at her, she looked at him intently. _What are you trying to say? _He thought desperately, _No man was injured like Kym and Chase didn't do anything he just broke in and sorted out the jail…. _Then it hit him. They were here watching, he nodded discreetly to Michelle, telling him that he understood, then he cast a glance at the ventilation and there as he suspected was a camera head. _Come on! _Jack thought impatiently.

Tony looked at the screen that showed the room with Jack and Michelle in and wanted to shout and praise the day she was born, they now knew how many men there were and that this was the location for the suicide bombers and Michelle had managed to tell Jack they were there. They'd got all this information and Tony couldn't help but marvel at Alexei's stupidity, he was so sure that they hadn't been followed.

Tonys radio crackled to life, "We're ready to move in" Kyle said, casting one last glance at the monitor he said, "Alright move in."

Michelle saw the smoke grenade before it smashed through the window and looked purposely at Jack, touching his hand briefly she told him it was happening and although neither had communicated with words both knew what to do.

The window broke with a loud smash and Mike and his goons all turned to stare at it, Jack saw Mikes face take on a look of disbelieving before turning to face Jack, but he was already in motion leaping up to punch Mike squarly in the face and rip his gun from his hands. Michelle jumped up kneeing John in the crotch, as he went down Michelle took his gun from his hands and bringing the butt of it down hard onto the back of his head. The smoke bomb exploded, causing utter confusion. The SWAT team lept over the walls and quickly and entered the courtyard. Mike and his men seeing it was inevitable swang open the doors and rushed into the room where the bombers were finishing whatever they were doing before they departed, Mike looked down the corridor and saw SWAT coming down, his face was a mask of anguish as he realised that all his plans were coming undone and he was surrounded, he screamed at one of the suicide bombers to get themselves together and make a human shield in front of the corridor. Turning he grabbed a shotgun that had been leaning against a wall that Michelle hadn't seen and obviously neither had anyone else. Turning the gun on one of the SWAT teams that had come through the glass he fired, the man died instantly. Then shouting words of motivation he got his men to open fire at the SWAT teams, saying that if he had to go down he'd take as many possible with him.

Tony cast a glance down the corridor, this wasn't going well. Alexei had managed to rally his people and now the SWAT team that had come through the courtyard were being slaughtered. The suicide bombers had managed to block the end of the corridor with themselves and what Tony saw made his blood turn cold. They were putting on their bomb jackets. They'd realised that they weren't going to make it out alive and so had resigned to blowing this shop and most likely this street sky high. "Kyle!" Tony said down his radio. No response. Tony swore, he was most likly dead along with the rest of the SWAT team. This was going very wrong, very quickly. Turing to a man in SWAT uniform he said, "Get a shield" The man nodded in understanding and went of to follow his orders.

Michelle looked around. Of the fifteen men that had come over the wall there were seven left not including Jack, Kym and herself. They'd taken shelter from the overturned table but it was slowly being destroyed by sheer force of bullets. Looking round she saw a small fragment of table lying on the floor just out of her reach, the table was a large metal one. She looked to see where Jack was, he and three SWAT where finding whatever protection they could get from a small wall that would have been used to hold flowers and give a person some privacy from the whoever was in the room that Mike and his men now occupied, slightly further forward then the table.

"Jack!" She shouted over the gunfire, he turned from the fight to look at her.

"We can't see I need you to cover me for a second!" She said. He looked at her as if weighing the options but nodded. Turning to a fellow SWAT member he got said something, the man looked at him in surprise but nodded and handed over his semi-automatic. Jack stood up and got everyones attention, Michelle gaped in surprise she said she needed a diversion but she hadn't realised that he was going to use himself as the diversion, but quickly getting over her shock she lunged grabed a the metal piece and scuttled back behind the table, sensing that Michelle had got it he settled back down and gave the gun back SWAT. Michelle spat on the piece of metal and wiped it, it wasn't like a mirror but it would do, carefully so not to draw attention she placed the metal piece out. Of Mike's ten men only five remained, Michelle noticed that John was one of them. They had their guns trained on them but Michelle saw that Mikes attention was on the suicide bombers. Every single one of them were wearing there bomb jackets, but none of them had guns she noticed. A lull had settled over their little fight, turning to one of the men she asked if he had a radio. He nodded,

"Ask them what the hells going on and tell them we need back because if they decide to push we'll be fighting for our lives. There are six men including Mike and none of the suicide bombers have guns." The man nodded and started to relay what she'd just said to him to someone else. A voice crackled on another SWAT's radio behind the table, it was Jack.

"What are you doing?"

"Relaying what position we're in." Michelle said taking the mans radio. "He's got six men and none of the suicide bombers have guns." She saw Jack look at her in admiration.

"You should have gone into field work." He said, she couldn't but help smile at the compliment.

"Tell you what, if we survive this I'll come to you for a job." she replied, now it was his turn to smile.

"How's Kym?" He asked his smile vanishing. Michelle looked in front of her to Kym who was strewn just behind the talbe, in between her and the table it made the most of the protection. Michelle saw the stain on her arm had grown almost alarmingly big. She thought about lying to Jack to make him feel better but decided against it. If it was her she'd want to know the truth.

"She's bad, unless she gets to a hospital soon she's dead." She saw Jack take it in.

"Then we can't sit tight and wait for Tactical on the other side to come through." Jack said. He was about to say more when shots sounded and Michelle looked panicky around expecting to see shots ricocheting of the walls and tables, grabbing her piece of metal she saw that the shots weren't coming Mike and his men and that they were being pushed towards Michelle and Jacks direction. "Michelle what's going on? We can't risk looking round." Jack said.

"There not from Mike that means they must be from the other SWAT Team, but it's pushing them towards us!" Jack swore gave a small glance round but John saw and shot missing Jack by less then an inch.

Tony saw the man come with the shield, "You push it forward and I'll shoot" Tony told him. The shield was 3 inch thick steel. Tony cast another glance he was about to go down when the mans radio crackled to life. "We've got six hostiles and the suicide bombers don't have guns" said a man on the other end of the radio. Tony gave a breath of relief he hadn't realized he's been holding, that was from the SWAT team so that must mean that some were still alive and so Michelle was alright.

"How many of them are still alive?" Tony asked meaning the SWAT team. "Are the Michelle Dessler, Jack Bauer and Kym Bauer still alive?" He waited for what seemed an eternity for the answer. The radio crackled to life again, "We've lost eight men and have seven left, Kyle died but Ms. Dessler and Mr. Bauer are alive and have taken over the situation and Ms. Bauer is in need for medical assistance and has lost a lot of blood." Tony could help but give a small smile of relief.

"We're about to go in now." Said the man on the radio.

"I want the SWAT team coming in after me and they're to take head shots of the men in bomb jackets, try to take Alexei Drazen alive but if he resists shoot him," Tony ordered the SWAT team, Tony nodded to the man with the shield and they started down the corridor. He knew that they didn't have guns but he didn't want to risk it, just in case one of Alexeis men broke through and started shooting. Tony walked behind the man with the shield and shot three times, each time hitting one of the three suicide bombers in the head. Each fell down, Tony had always been a good shot and it seemed that being in jail hadn't marred his skills to much.

They entered into the room and Tony shouted at the suicide bombers,

"You have two choices! You can remove you jackets, put them in a pile and all get on your knees" He aimed at the bomber one at a time, a man in his late thirties who had started greying at his temples went to detonate, Tony fired. "This is you last change or we all kill you!" He shouted. The bombers started to take off there jackets. SWAT kept there sights on every one of the bombers. Suddenly gunfire erupted from behind the doors leading into the adjoining room and courtyard. Tony whispered Michelle's name fearing the worst. "GET THAT DOOR OPENED!" Tony shouted, SWAT and Tony went to the walls and Tony motioned for one of the bombers to open it, he did it hesitantly.

SWAT poured into the room and were instantly fired upon by two men, after three SWAT went down one men went down.

"YOU'RE SURROUNDED ALEXEI, GIVE UP NOW AND YOU WON'T BE SHOT!" Tony shouted as he lined Alexei up in his site.

Michelle had John in her sights all around her lay dead SWAT members. Her back was against the wall as she tried to take in what had happened in the last few seconds. She'd heard three shots and then Tony shouting although it had been muffled so she couldn't make out what he'd said and then…. Then things got confusing, Mike and his men had slammed the door to stop SWAT from coming in immediately and had broken the ceasefire by running at Michelle, Jack and their SWAT team. Mikes men had split into two groups, three going each way, Jack had fired and killed all the men that had attacked him but the three SWAT members also with his behind the wall had died before he could kill them all and Jack had been shot in the shoulder. Michelle hadn't been so lucky, Mike and his three had lobbed the old smoke grenade behind the table, but at the time Michelle and the SWAT member behind there hadn't realized that and they were distracted for just long enough for Mike and his men to rush them. One SWAT member had died as he killed two men the other three had been shot with no time to defend themselves and Michelle had been forced to fire at point blank range into another mans body and now she stood with her sight aimed at Johns chest and his gun was locked onto her. Mike stood and his gun was pointed squarely at Kym, who had been left undefended and was on the brink of death and in turn Jack now had his sight on Mike. It was at this standoff that Tony and the rest of the SWAT team had burst through the door. So now both Mike and John had over ten people aiming at their bodies.

There was a tense silence, neither side willing to shoot just yet.

"I killed your nephew." Jack said with no emotion in his voice.

"Yes and now I'll kill your daughter."

"You do that I kill you." Jack said.

"So! I've failed Yusef's will. I deserve it. I let my own personal revenge get ahead of me." He said never taking his eyes of Kym. "I was this close to completing his final testament. Then I was free to kill you any way I saw fit." He spoke as if talking to himself. Tony wanted to take him alive and that meant preferably shooting him in the leg but the table kept them obscured. He spared a glance at Michelle, she seemed no worse off and she had her sights set on Alexei's last man.

"Put down your guns and you get to live" Tony said. Alexei finally looked up and looked towards him.

"Mr Almeida so nice to finally meet you in person" He said. Tony didn't say anything, "Well this is an interesting turnout. The two men I hate most in the world, which one to destroy?" He said. He looked at Jack and smiled. "How about I give this decision to you Jack. Either I kill Kym or you shoot Michelle." He said very calmly. Jack almost lowered his gun from shock.

Jack couldn't seem to order his thoughts, Kym or Michelle? He couldn't make that decision, he couldn't.

"Hurry Jack or your daughter dies anyway." Alexei said. Tony glanced at Jack, _don't you dare Jack _he thought, _I'll kill you if you do. _Jack looked up and met Tony's gaze, Tony shook his head slightly and Jack understood what his gaze was trying to say. Looking down at the ground Jack came to a decision that he knew cost him his last strand of humanity.

"I'm sorry Tony." He said, before Tony could take in what he said he changed the angle of his gun and fired at Michelle. Tony watched in horror as his wife crumpled to the floor and a large blood stain appeared on her.

Michelle didn't hear much apart from the blood roaring in her ears as she tried come to terms with what Alexei had just said and then she felt an agonising searing pain in her shoulder just above her heart. She felt herself collapsing and saw the ground coming up alarmingly fast and then everything faded.

Alexei was distracted for just that split second that Jack knew he'd be just like everyone else was, Jack looked down the barrel and fired at Alexei's leg. He hit it and Alexei collapsed and his gun fell from his hand. Kym was safe.

Tony took in Jack shooting Michelle with detached horror, he felt as if he were a spectator, as if it were a film and he was watching it. He tried to get his limbs to move but they wouldn't. He watched as Jack shot Alexei in the leg and saw him collapse and then saw John throw his gun to the floor and get into the POW position, on his knees with his fingers interlocking on his head. It was only when a SWAT brush past him briefly as he went to put handcuffs on John that Tony came out of his stupor. Almost leaping over the table and Kym he went to Michelle.

"SOMEONE GET AN MEDIC IN HERE!!" Jack shouted as he rushed to Kym, but to Tony it seemed as if it were a whisper. He knelt by Michelle's head were she collapsed and cradled it, she was so pale, he furiously tried to blink back tears that were threatening to spill. He put his hand over the shot wound to try and stop the flow and almost gingerly he felt for a pulse, at first he thought his mind was playing tricks on him, but after keeping his hand there for a few more seconds he realized there was a pulse there, desperately faint and slow but it was there. Tony looked up and looked desperately for a medic, two were kneeling over Kym and Tony grabbed one by the shoulder and spun him around.

"She's alive" He said, the medic looked at him and felt for a pulse, looked back at Tony and then spoke into his radio, "We need another ambulance here A.S.A.P" He took Michelle from Tony and started to try and place some bandages on the wound. Tony stood up to give the medic some more room and stared at his hand that had been pressing the wound to stanch the blood. There was so much blood on his hand, _don't die Michelle _he thought desperately _I need you. _He felt Jack give him a sidelong guilty glance and Tony itched to reach for his gun and only just fought the compulsion off. If Michelle survived she'd need Tony but if she didn't, then he'd kill him. Tony saw four stretcher bearers and two stretchers, Kym was loaded onto one and Michelle onto another. Tony went to follow the stretcher but a SWAT man stopped him.

"I have to go with my wife." Tony said.

"I'm sorry sir but we've got orders from Division to take you back to CTU and for you be put back into custody."

"No!" Both men turned to see Jack, "I'll take him to the hospital, I'll keep him under watch there and I'll take him back to CTU when he finds out about his wife." Jack said, the man made as if to argue but thought better and walked away. Jack didn't say anything to Tony and just walked towards the front of the shop and Tony followed.

The car drive had been in silence and now they sat in the waiting room in the hospital in silence. Both Kym and Michelle had been taken straight into surgery, no one had come to see either of them. Jack had disappeared a few minutes ago but Tony didn't care where he'd gone. He was sitting down in one of the most uncomfortable chairs Tony thought he'd ever sat on. He had his head in his hands trying to take in everything that had happened today when Jacks shadow fell over him, Tony looked up and didn't say anything, but gave Jack a look of unbridled hate and revulsion. Jack said nothing but sat down opposite him, two coffees in his hands.

"I thought you could use it." He said offering it as a peace offering of sorts.

"After what you did it'll take more then some coffee to make up for it." Tony said.

Jack looked down, "I suppose I deserved that." He said guiltily.

"Deserve that?!" Tony said incredulously. "You kidnap and shot my wife Jack, what do you want me to do? Pat you on the back and say well done."

"Tony, earlier today you compared me to you about wanting to see Michelle. So put yourself in my shoes, if that had been Michelle on the floor and Kym standing what would you have done?" Jack asked. Tony said nothing, deep down he knew he'd have done exactly the same thing. "I'm sorry Tony I really am and if th…"

"I'll tell you now Jack, if Michelle dies, I'll kill you." Tony said.

"If Michelle dies I'll help you pull the trigger." Jack replied, Tony looked at him surprised, he offered the coffee again and this time Tony took it, he'd not forgiven Jack but it was a start.

"Do you know that it was her that invited you to the wedding?" Tony said, Jack looked at him not understanding. "She said she wanted you to come. No offence Jack but you've never been one of my closest friends. But we both know that. She never gave me a reason to why she wanted you to come but I think she hero worshipped you in a way. The way you managed to save the day with the nuclear bomb and stop a war and prove the Cyprus Recordingd to be fake, go with your gut feeling even when everyone else was so sure that it was true."

"She was the one to come to me about it. I never would have known about it if she hadn't have come to me." Jack replied

Both sat in silence for a while longer each in their own thoughts when a nurse came down the corridor.

"Mr. Bauer" She said not knowing which one was Jack.

"Yes" He said looking at her.

"Kyms out of surgery, she's a bit groggy still but she should be alright, if you'll follow me" She turned to go.

"Ms." Tony said

"Yes"

"Is Michelle Dessler still in surgery?"

"I'm not sure, I can get a nurse who knows if you want."

"Thanks" Jack was still sitting and looked at Tony. "Go" Tony said. Jack looked uncertain, "I'm not a flight risk this is Michelle we're talking about, go to Kym I'll still be here when you come back." Jack got up and followed the nurse leaving Tony sitting waiting for another nurse.

After about ten minutes she turned up, "Mr. Almeida" Tony looked up.

"Yes"

"We're doing the best we can for Michelle right now. She's still in surgery…"

"Will she be Ok?"

"She's with some of our best doctors…but there's been a complication…I'm so sorry Mr. Almeida…her chances of survival aren't high…I need to know of she's ever signed a do not resuscitate order, or if you would mind her organs being donated." The nurse looked down unable to meet his gaze. Tony looked down and hung his head in his hands.

"Mr Almeida?"

"Erm…she never signed a DNR and I don't know about organ donation…. Are her chances of survival that low?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Almeida but we'll do everything we can." She turned and walked away. Leaving Tony by himself again.

Jack decided to check on Tony and walked down the corridor to find Tony exactly where he left him. It had been over an hour, Kym was starting to come round. Jack had already phoned Chloe and told her to check and see if there was any news on Chase and the baby, he was still waiting for her to call back.

"Hey" Jack said sitting down in opposite Tony. Tony didn't even bother responding, Jack saw that Tony had long ago finished his cup of coffee and had ripped the polystyrene cup up into little pieces. "Any news?"

"The nurse came by about an hour ago to ask if Michelle had a do-not-resuscitate order and if I'd mind if they used I donated her organs." Tony said.

"Not good then?"

"No Jack it's fucking fantastic news" Tony said sarcastically.

"When was the last time you ate something?" Jack asked. Tony yawned, fending of tiredness.

"Can't remember."

"There's a canteen I'll go grab you something, what yo…"

"Mr. Almeida" said a nurse causing both men to jump.

"Yes" Tony said getting up. He expected the worst news but suddenly her face broke out into a smile, "You're a lucky man, she should be alright. She's a fighter your wife." Tony's face broke into a huge grin.

"Can I see her?"

"Yes, follow me." The nurse turned and Tony followed, "There are still some pieces of shrapnel in her, but we couldn't remove them but they shouldn't cause too much trouble." She said as she opened a door. Tony bustled past her to Michelle's side at her bed.

"Will she hear me?" Tony asked the nurse.

"Just," Michelle said opening her eyes lazily. Tony smiled and stoked her face, and kissed her gently.

"You scared me" He said.

"Now you know how I felt."

"I promise never to do it again if you promise the same."

"Done" she said. Jack stood back watching the scene not wanting to impede.

"Did you get Alexei? Is Kym Ok?" She said struggling to get up.

"Yes" Jack said finally making himself known to Michelle. "Kym came out of surgery before you, the doctors say she lost a lot of blood but that she should make a full recovery. We got all the suicide bombers, no-one died today because of your bravery" Jack said. "You should be proud of yourself." Michelle smiled.

"That job in field ops still available?" Michelle asked smiling.

"No!" Jack replied laughing, "Tony would kill me." Tony looked at them both strangely, not getting them but realizing that it was a private joke. "I'm going to check up on Kym I'll leave you two alone." He said and was gone. Tony turned to face Michelle again.

"You scared me so much," he said taking her hand. "I don't think I could handle it if I lost you, you mean so much to me. I..I love you so much.." He tried to continue but Michelle silenced him.

"I know, I feel exactly the same." She said kissing him gently, she looked at him and then let out a small laugh.

"What?" he asked.

"You realize what this means," she said

"No"

"We've got matching bullet holes. The ultimate marriage accessory!" Tony laughed and kissed her. They'd made it through today, even after everything that had been thrown at them. They'd make it through tomorrow as well, because they loved each other. They'd go through whatever problems life threw at them and they'd deal with it together, nothing could stop them as long as they stayed together

THE END


End file.
